


Nothing is True: A "Rogue" Snark

by Faktririjekt



Category: Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed: Rogue - Fandom
Genre: And Kinda' at Describing Things...Like Characters' Appearances, Anti-Religious Sentiment, Assassin's Creed: Rogue Spoilers, Because I Absolutely ABSOLUTELY Suck at Lying, But You Know What They Look Like. So I'm Off the Hook. YAY., Did I Mention I Suck at Lying?, Gen, I'm Surrounded by Idiots, Logic is Dead, Mention of the word 'retard' but it's directed at me so there's that., More than Enough Language to Scare a Mormon, This is "Assassin's Creed" So It's Violent and People Kill Each Other, Tried to act like a newcomer to the game but that didn't last very long, Warning: Copious Sarcasm Incoming, Why? Just...Just Why?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-19
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-27 15:11:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 89,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6289480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faktririjekt/pseuds/Faktririjekt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In November 2014, Ubisoft told us the story of two opposing factions, neither entirely wrong in the belief that their work benefited humanity. Caught in the crossfire—a tragic hero named Shay Cormac. </p><p>After his despotic Mentor sent him to retrieve an ancient artifact at the cost of thousands of lives, the wide-eyed, eager young Assassin returned to convince the Brotherhood to change their ways, only to be shot down, figuratively and literally. </p><p>He had no choice but to hunt those he once called Brothers and Sisters, to eliminate them one-by-one and end their reign of terror before they tore the world apart in their search for the Pieces of Eden. </p><p>Ubisoft lied. </p><p>Nothing is True.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. With Friends Like These, Who Needs the Templars?

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: If I owned "Assassin's Creed," I sure as hell wouldn't be doing this. All rotten eggs and tomatoes should be lobbed at Ubisoft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special, heartfelt thanks to everyone who's aided me so far! Assassin_J, Ennessee, and Jon (not a username) in particular---I can always count on you to give feedback, and it's kept me going every bit as much as my undying rage upon reading Tumblr's "Rogue"-related AC Confessions. 
> 
> And thanks again to Assassin_J for letting me know I could post this here, and helping me learn the ropes of this site and finish the summary. 
> 
> P.S. If I appear to repeat game dialogue in my comments and it's not all italic, that isn't a mistake: those are my suggested edits. Usually it's to remove a character's name from the sentence, and sometimes to rearrange things so as to improve flow or say the same thing in fewer words, et cetera. I'm OCD and a beta reader, so it helps to keep me calm. But I apologize if it annoys you.

> Snow falls from a pale sky, amidst howling wind. 

This opening image coincides with _Rogue_ ’s tone (“[T]he Assassins and Templars have always […] resided in a gray area,” writes Anne Lewis, in her article ‘Assassin’s Creed Rogue—Faces of Shay.’ “Yet, they are […] polar opposites, wholly devoted to their causes. This has perhaps never been clearer than in Assassin’s Creed Rogue, which […] developers [...] refer [...] to as [the darkest chapter in the franchise](http://blog.ubi.com/assassins-creed-rogue-shay-profile/)”) and Shay’s glacial demeanor—judging by [the launch trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoOsv0FBpaU). (“Life’s hardest choices are the ones that force you to question your own moral code. My choice has led me here, standing against those I once called Brothers. History may brand me traitor, rebel, or renegade...but in the end, it doesn’t matter how history remembers me. What matters is that I followed my own creed.”) 

> ‘UBISOFT Presents’  

> An eagle flies into view of the camera. Then Shay speaks: “Stay my blade from the flesh of the innocent.”
> 
> The eagle swoops lower, so icy cliffs and the freezing ocean are visible. “Hide in plain sight.”
> 
> [The North Atlantic, January 1752]
> 
> “Never compromise the _Assassin_ Brotherhood.”

While Shay’s recital (albeit slight paraphrasing) of the tenets is a welcome break from _Assassin’s Creed III_ ’s utter disregard for the Creed, and _Black Flag_ ’s disregard for Assassins in general…the voiceover isn’t necessary. Ezio exposited through letters to Claudia in _Revelations_ , but we’ve no idea who Shay’s audience is or if he’s meant to have one.

Also, I don’t care for the way that he emphasizes ‘Assassin’—as if to say, “All those other brotherhoods? Fuck ‘em.” It’s a minor point, but…eh. 

> “These are the tenets of the Creed.” 

Again, not _truly_ bothersome, because it involves Assassin philosophy. But who is he talking to that doesn’t know this? A player who began the series with _Rogue_? Shay isn’t aware he’s in a video game.

Yeah, yeah, it’s a gimmick to keep players invested in the story (because Ubisoft refuses to apologize and doesn’t want anyone asking for their money back). And a common thing for main characters to do; one might even call it a cliche. Here’s another cliche: If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do it? Just because so many other writers resort to it doesn’t give _you_ an excuse.

> “The principles I used to live by.”

Here’s where we cross the border into Stupid Territory. The Modern Day ~~protagonist~~ … ~~character~~ … ~~person~~ …sentient life form(???) is experiencing a day in Shay’s life that occurred in 1752, when he’s still living by these principles and has absolutely no intentions of doing otherwise. And despite the jokes I’ll make later, he doesn’t have psychic powers. Hence, he should only be able to reflect on things that happened between…oh, let’s be kind and say 1734, and now.

But somehow, the MDSL hears 1776!Shay in a 1752 memory.

> The eagle soars over a cliff. We watch a running wolf pack.

Symbolizing the Brotherhood and their unity? 

> “I was a young man then. The Seven Years’ War was about to begin.”
> 
> Serene, uplifting music plays. The eagle turns a wide arc, and we depart from the wolves to focus on a man running gracefully through barren trees—our protagonist, Shay; part of the Assassin ‘wolf pack.’
> 
> “I could not have imagined what the future had in store for me. Nor the cost I would choose to bear.”

“I couldn’t have imagined what the future had in store for me. Nor the cross I would choose to bear.” Originally, this is what I thought Shay said—then I saw the actual subtitle. How do you miss that opportunity in a Templar game?

> “My name is Shay. Patrick. Cormac. This is my story.”

Oh, gag me…Why must we learn his name this way?

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m attempting to write from the perspective of someone who knows next-to-nothing about how _Rogue_ turns out. Truthfully, I played from beginning to end. That…privilege…has afforded me the knowledge that Shay could have been formally introduced at approximately 579 different points. (“Top form, Shay!” “We’ll talk later, Shay.” “Shay, follow me.” “Shay!” “Show some respect, Shay.”) The writers could’ve shaved off _one entire useless address_ , but they did _this_. Bravo.

(While I’m breaking character, I may as well stop to add that they wouldn’t recognize subtlety if it moved all of their possessions one-twentieth of an inch to the right every day.)

Now back to our regularly scheduled cluelessness. Thank you, Captain Obvious (whoever wrote this), for pointing out that it’s his story! We the fanbase are not idiots; we bought the game to learn his story.

> There’s a figure running in the distance: Shay’s target.
> 
> ‘Kill the Assassin,’ the objective says.

Which is what he’ll do for a large part of the game. Good foreshadowing. 

> Shay pursues until his target is thirty-forty feet below, surveying the beach.
> 
> “Well,” the Assassin comments (referring to driftwood along the shore), “we won’t lack for firewood, at least.”

> Shay leaps to perform an air assassination, which the Assassin dodges in the nick of time.

It’s also possible to approach him from behind, in which case he counters instead. Yay choices! 

> Shay rolls through snow and stands. The Assassin smirks, preparing for a fight—then relaxes and pulls his hood down, laughing.
> 
> “Admit it,” Shay crows. “I nearly had you!”

Ah, the Assassins’ typical easygoing, devil-may-care disposition; the bond between Brotherhood members, like that of Ezio Auditore da Firenze and Yusuf Tazim. How I’ve missed it. This was one of my favorite trailer moments before I knew the context.

Our protagonists are childhood friends who lost contact for ten years. Shay became homeless and destitute until the Assassin found him, and introduced him to the Brotherhood. 

> “‘Nearly’ counts for nothin’, Shay,” the Assassin teases. “Besides, no—that was just luck.”
> 
> “I make my _own_ luck,” Shay retorts.

Even if a friend hadn’t warned me this’ll be a catchphrase, I’d be annoyed. The way he says it—smug instead of light-hearted; ‘Oh yeah? Well, I make my own luck, so there! Nyah.’ That whole ‘luck of the Irish’ cliche doesn’t help.

> “ _Liam_.” 

_Lazy_. Good to know the Assassin’s name, but why is Shay saying it? Is _anyone_ confused who’s being spoken to here? 

> “Aye, you’ve been saying that for years, but you’ve precious little to show for it,” Liam replies good-naturedly. “Or have you been spending it all gettin’ out of trouble?”
> 
> “Well, you know…trouble just follows me around,” Shay says. 
> 
> The Assassins turn when a gunshot echoes in the distance, scattering birds.
> 
> “Let’s head back,” Liam advises, and they start walking, putting up their hoods. “Come on. Captain de la Verendrye and his crew must’ve run into some trouble.”

Unless Shay’s a fresh recruit, why does Liam feel the need to explain something has gone down? (Glancing at his database entry, he’s not a total newbie but he’s close enough; he joined in 1749, or 1750 at best. “[I]n 1748, Shay reunited with Liam O’Brien, who helped him get back on his feet. [T]he two became inseparable. Liam introduced Shay to Achilles and [he] learned about the Assassins and their Creed. [He joined them a year later](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Shay_Patrick_Cormac)[.]”)

And unless Shay had no idea who they’re meeting/working for/whatever (this de la Verendrye), why did Liam mention his name? Couldn’t he say ‘The captain must’ve run into trouble’?

> “Who knew meetin’ with smugglers would lead to no good?” he chuckles, as they run over logs and jump across rocks onto a high cliff.

Liam’s cavalier attitude and sarcasm about allying with (non-violent) criminals means he’s a proper Assassin. “Where [others] are bound by morality or law, remember: Everything is Permitted.” The Brotherhood shouldn’t help thieves—unless the thief only robs Templars, corrupt politicians, et cetera (people who’ve got it coming)—but smugglers don’t need to harm anyone; financially, physically, or otherwise. 

> “I still don’t understand why you can’t tell me what we’re doin’ here,” Shay complains lightly. 

Liam has a decade more experience, but if Wiki dates _are_ correct in this instance, it’s high time that Shay be privy to the workings of the Brotherhood, mission details and whatnot.

> “Because Chevalier decided _not_ to tell you,” Liam answers.

That sentence should be read without emphasis. Or, ‘Because _Chevalier_ decided not to tell you,’ indicating Chevalier has higher authority and Liam’s hands are tied.

[](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Colonial_Brotherhood_of_Assassins)[“Eventually, in 1743, ](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Shay_Patrick_Cormac)[Achilles inducted Liam into the Brotherhood as his first student](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Liam_O'Brien), who in turn helped recruit the other members of the Colonial Brotherhood, such as Chevalier de la Verendrye[.]”

…‘Sorry, that guy I outrank said not to tell you. Them’s the breaks.’ Liam, you’re an asshole, fuck off.

> “I thought we were friends, Liam.”
> 
> “We are. But this is business. It doesn’t concern you, Shay.”

If the Assassins don’t plan to fill Shay in, they don’t need his help. Why did they bring him?

No need to say each other’s names. Just: ‘I thought we were friends.’ — ‘We are, but this is business. It doesn’t concern you.’ 

> “Am I going too fast for you?” Liam asks mock-seriously, Shay trailing behind.

“Am I going too fast?”  

> “I’m just keepin’ an eye on you,” Shay replies, sarcastic, “in case you fall down and hurt yourself.”

As opposed to ‘fall up’? 

> Liam performs a Leap of Faith, and waits a short distance away. They keep running when Shay rejoins him.
> 
> “Hurry!” Liam urges. “We best not keep Chevalier waitin’.”

If you can’t restrict that line to players who stand around, don’t include it. Everyone who does what they’re supposed to is left thinking, ‘No shit, genius!’ Or they’ve run past Liam and lost sight of him—in which case it’s, ‘Take your own advice!’ 

> Shay and Liam reach camp, finding ‘Chevalier’ with several armed men

(not _obviously_ Assassins, but it can’t be ruled out), 

> most lying in the snow. Chevalier notices their entrance, growls, “What the—” in French, then throws an open bottle of liquor to the ground. “Where the hell were you two?!”
> 
> “We were out hunting!” Shay explains. “What happened here?”

“We were out hunting! What happened?” Or...to reduce the string of words beginning with ‘H’ (‘hell’, ‘hunting’, ‘happened here’), Shay could ask who or what got shot at.

> Chevalier flies into another rage. “My men were attacked by some English sea dogs!”

‘Some’ isn’t necessary, but whatever… 

> “Why, Captain Joseph,” Shay replies, smiling. “Couldn’t ya’ fight them all off by yourself like you’re always sayin’?”
> 
> “It is Capitaine Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Verendrye,” ‘Chevalier’ snaps. “And you are dreaming if you think any training could make you into a proper Assassin!”

*looks at Shay, then Louis, then back at Shay and frowns, bewildered*

…What? What the—? How does Shay’s proficiency or lack thereof relate to _anything_? Shay never said he’s better than Louis—only that Louis’ high opinion of himself conflicts with his actual abilities. He’s calling Louis out for boasting that he could defeat a group of fighters singlehanded, only to get pissed when he didn’t have help. Granted, what happened isn’t funny, and I’d agree if that’s what Louis was yelling about. But it isn’t.

I bet another Assassin would’ve laughed it off, embarrassed, claimed never to have said that, or told him to shut up. Not this guy. No. This guy is an asshole, and those options are _far_ too relatable.

Members of the egalitarian meritocracy that is the Assassin Brotherhood are unlikely to call him by his full name and title. He doesn’t know (is this the first time he hasn’t been addressed as ‘Capitaine Louis-Joseph Gaultier, Chevalier de la Verendrye’?), or blatantly ignores it; providing an excuse to  _list_ the name and title and establish him as an arrogant son of a bitch. 

> “Do you even know what that means? 

“Do you know what that means? 

It’s gratifying to see an Assassin who takes his job seriously. I’d say he reminds me of Niccolo Machiavelli, but I wouldn’t want to insult poor Niccolo.  

> It means being responsible for an ancient and proud tradition.

It means responsibility for an ancient and proud tradition.

‘Ancient’ is an understatement—Shay’s among the latest in 76,000-ish years of recruits serving and dying for people who don’t know they exist. They see themselves as guardian angels, a voice for those afraid to challenge the status quo or take justice into their own hands. 

> It means obeying your Mentor without question!

I seem to recall an incident where a Levantine Assassin tried that and it didn’t work out so great. Assassins follow orders, but the Brotherhood keeps a history—they should’ve learned the danger of regarding Mentors as more than teachers long ago. 

> How else will we ensure freedom for the human race?!” 

We don’t know Shay’s orders, or why he—ostensibly—went against them. Surely if he’d been given an important task, Liam (who’s more devoted) wouldn’t allow him to deviate. They went ‘hunting.’ (No supporting evidence, but none to the contrary.) They made no mention of, “We were supposed to guard the camp” on their run back. Louis didn’t say, “I told you to stay here!” It was just, “Something’s happened. Must investigate.” It’s…like they cut a key scene and we’re left with the aftermath.

As far as we can tell, Shay hasn’t done wrong by the Assassins, much less his Mentor—Achilles Davenport—so what’s Louis going on about?  

> Shay echoes this sentiment, looking dumbstruck, before he retorts, “That’s pretty words, Chevalier. But I don’t feel too free at the moment.”

“That’s pretty words. But I don’t feel too free at the moment.”

It’s ironic, and sad, that Assassins are dedicated to improving everyone’s lives but their own. They’re often miserable, when not in outright physical pain. 

> Louis glares at Shay in disgust. “Well then, feel educated!” He punches Shay hard in the face, drawing blood; Shay goes down.

Why is Liam observing? There’s obviously no need for violence. Shay was having a discussion with a fellow Brotherhood member. Is that too much to expect in the faction that encourages free, critical thought?!

Liam should restrain Louis, tell him to calm down. Defend Shay, help him up. Something! Forget destroying a city—this could turn Shay off of being an Assassin for good. With friends like these, who needs the Templars? 

> Louis assumes an offensive position, Shay prepares for a fight after getting knocked down for the second time in less than five minutes, and Liam watches the two exchange blows with his arms crossed to his chest. _Finally_ he pushes them apart. 
> 
> “Gentlemen! Stop!”

I want to like Liam…but he’s making it difficult.  

> He looks between them with his arms outstretched. “We’ve got a common enemy, and I reckon he’s close.”

The Brotherhood’s unity is its greatest strength. Imagine an Actually Dangerous situation where Shay and Louis cooperate and watch each other’s backs, for the good of not only the mission but survival. Now take a moment of silence to mourn the fact that it doesn’t exist.  

> “The Royal Navy attacked my vessel, and forced my men to flee!” Louis says. “We are stranded, and what is worse, the smugglers we were supposed to meet have been taken prisoner!”
> 
> Shay looks on the verge of choking Louis (who’s rounding on him as if their imprisonment is his fault, because he wasn’t at camp.)
> 
> “Shay and I’ll free those smugglers!” Liam reassures Louis sternly. “You, treat your wounded!”

“We’ll handle it.”  

> They separate. Liam and Shay look around, getting their bearings/cooling their tempers; Shay wrings his hands in frustration. Liam fetches a sword and knife for him.
> 
> “Take these,” he orders. “You’ll need them.”

He’s embarking on a rescue mission against the world’s strongest navy. Odds are, he’ll need to be armed. Come to think of it, why isn’t he already? His Hidden Blades are his only means of self-defense, he hasn’t been given direct orders or told why they’re here...He’s on a sight-seeing trip for all the good the Assassins expect him to do. 

> “Tread with care, Shay,” Liam warns as Shay follows him. “The Royal Navy’ll be ready for us.”

“Tread with care. The Royal Navy’ll be ready for us.”

He and Shay didn’t encounter anyone looking for them on their way to camp—or anyone who spotted them and could’ve told the others. And neither Louis nor his men indicated that they’d discovered their existence somehow. He has no reason to think they won’t be in for a surprise.

> “Remember your training.”

Does he think Shay will forget everything he’s learned as an Assassin unless he says that? 

> “Ready to teach them a lesson?”

Hell yeah. And that lesson is, ‘Don’t cross the Assassins!’ 

> “They don’t stand a chance,” Shay replies nonchalantly.
> 
> The navy is waiting about half a football field away, instead of...

I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish. Were they chasing the smugglers and capturing them was their end goal, or…did they randomly show up to an uninhabited island and pick a fight?

> Shay and Liam locate the captives, stalking their captors from the trees. Liam air-assassinates a guard. 
> 
> “Not bad,” Shay says.
> 
> “Where are your mates now, ya’ bilge rat?” a guard sneers at a smuggler. “Talk before I bash out your brains! We will find them and let them bury what’s left of you!”

How could the British know that Louis and co. weren’t alone? Louis didn’t send anyone away from the battle to get help. Had they watched the camp before Liam and Shay left, and managed to escape the notice of two Master Assassins?

Theoretically, someone _could_ have recognized Louis as an Assassin, and knew they usually travel in packs. But considering how much effort both the Assassins and Templars go through to keep the war secret, as well as the sizes of the Brotherhood and the Royal Navy…The odds are stacked a little higher in favor of none of these soldiers having heard of the Assassins in their lives.

Still…somehow, they must, because it’s the only way this makes any sense whatsoever. 

> Liam sneaks across the Navy’s camp and hides in low brush, near-invisible to anyone who isn’t within Hidden Blade distance.

He considers one or two kills his share, and is waiting for Shay to do all the rest. (Although if you lead guards to his hiding spot, he’ll fight and kill them. So he’s not a total deadbeat.) 

> Shay frees the captives both in camp, and on a ship just offshore: the...

*FACEPALM* 

“Templars have access to almost unlimited wealth,” Michael Hampton (Lead Game Designer) ~~needlessly reminds us~~ states, in his demo ‘[Assassin’s Creed Rogue Arctic Naval Gameplay Walkthrough [North America]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6M_jpmLydw)’. “So as the captain of a Templar ship—the _Morrigan_ —[players] benefit from the most advanced weaponry of the age.” I was under the impression that Shay defects to the Order and they go, ‘You’ve joined our team, huh? Good for you! Here’s a shiny reward full of advanced weaponry, the better to murder Assassins with.’ The writers could have underscored the privileges of a Templar compared to the relative impoverished MacGyverism of an Assassin, but they did _this_. 

In addition, the ship _happens_ to already be named after an Irish goddess, and look who ends up captain. Because Shay renaming it would’ve been too far-fetched. I mean, clearly. 

> More guards from below-deck surround Shay, rifles and bayonets aimed. He doesn’t move, as if surrendering. Suddenly he turns, grabs one of the rifles, and aims it to fire at another guard. 
> 
> Liam leaps aboard, coming to Shay’s rescue.

Nice of him to cut his lunch break short.  

> Louis joins the fray. It’s a group effort—a slaughter.
> 
> “I was saving those fellows for you,” Shay tells them.

“I saved those fellows for you.”  

> “Very thoughtful,” Liam commends.
> 
> “Maybe you are not completely useless, Shay.” Louis kicks a survivor and runs him through.

I, for one, am thankful that _Rogue_ never made me wrestle with the emotional torment of sympathizing with this character before being given reasons to hate him. Ambiguity is for people with stronger constitutions. 

> “Speaking of useless.” Shay sheathes his sword, looking up at the mast. “Those blockheads won’t be needing this vessel anymore.”

Dead people don’t need ships. Brilliant deduction.

> “This…pile of…shit?” Louis asks incredulously.

It’s a bit small, and the paint job and sails are dull, but it’s respectable.  

> “You want her, Shay?” he decides. “She is yours. Now bring me to my ship!”

“You want her? She is yours. Now bring me to my ship!” 

> “You heard Chevalier!” Liam says. “This vessel is yours, Shay. Go on—take the wheel. 

Shay is standing in front of the wheel. _Obviously_ he’s going to take it, dumbass. 

> Some of the men you rescued agreed to join us.

Yes. The men _he_ rescued.

We don’t find out why the Assassins were meeting them, by the way. The Wiki says they were carrying “[valuable cargo](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Shay_Cormac),” but doesn’t specify what it was, or what happened to it. It will never be brought up again. And if the Assassins were low on supplies, the only reason it _wouldn’t_ be is if they stocked up off-screen. In which case—what’s the point of this scene?

My beta suggested that the cargo might’ve been stolen from the Royal Navy. Plausible. Too bad there isn’t a shred of evidence.

To confuse things even further, they’re dressed exactly the same as the Colonial Brotherhood. The ones who hang around the Assassins’ base and act just like them; the ones Shay later kills to thwart assassination contracts. Yet…they’re only now joining the Colonial Brotherhood. *scratches head*

> They should prove a good crew.”

**Shay** : “In comparison to the firewood?”

They sucked at smuggling, and that was their _job_. What makes him think they’re better sailors?

> “I am not so certain about their captain,” Louis says, “but next to me, you are the most experienced sailor in the Brotherhood, Shay. Besides, we could use another vessel. Even this pitiful one.”

Why did Louis randomly comment on Shay’s skills (again)? This might’ve worked if another Assassin wanted the wheel, and Louis replied, “No, Shay is the second-most experienced. Go sit down before you hurt yourself.”  

> Long story short, Shay rescues Louis’s ship from the Royal Navy.
> 
> “Sing hearty, lads—Chevalier is pleased with us!” he declares.
> 
> Pan back to a beautiful shot of the _Morrigan_ in open water, near those cliffs from the beginning.
> 
> “What course would you have me set, Shay?” Liam asks brightly.

“What course would you have me set?” 

> “Time to report back to the Mentor.” Shay is equally as cheerful. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Time to report to the Mentor. Wouldn’t you agree?” 

> “Wise words, Captain. Wise words.” 
> 
> We have title screen! 


	2. And That's How the All-Powerful Templar Order Was Defeated By a Blackout

> The screen flickers and warps...then goes black like someone shut off a TV. 

Our first glimpse of Modern Day. I can hardly wait. / **sarcasm**  

> “What the hell did you do?” a young woman’s voice cries over a dark blue, also-malfunctioning loading screen. “It’s...some kind of dormant virus?! 

About time the Assassins figured out how to do this. 

> SHIT. Hang on, I’m getting you out of there!”

What does she imagine might happen if ‘we’re’ left at the infected machine? The Bleeding Effect isn’t a product of Animus use. It comes from too much time spent immersed in another person’s memories.

Ah well, it’s easy enough to believe ‘we’ could be screwed somehow, or that she’d think ‘we’ could be. 

> “Please remain calm,” a quiet, automated voice says in the background. “Do not panic.”
> 
> ‘Our’ surroundings come into view. The woman sighs, turning away from the Animus, toward ‘us’.

Ubisoft, I’m not playing myself as an Abstergo Entertainment employee and we both know it. That’s what you said about _Black Flag_ ’s Modern Day protagonist. (“We wanted to remove this barrier that you’re playing a guy who’s playing in a machine playing a guy,” says game director Ashraf Ismail. “So instead, [it’s really you as the hero in the present day using the Animus](http://venturebeat.com/2013/03/04/you-are-the-new-desmond-in-assassins-creed-iv/) to go into someone’s life.”) 

_Black Flag_ ’s Modern Day protagonist _was a **man**_ —as if anyone needed more proof of how disgustingly sexist you are. I demand an Actual Character with an Actual Name, Face, and Background, or a Create-A-Character feature with extensive customization options. 

> “Sorry for the rough exit,” she says, flustered. “Earpiece working...? Check!”
> 
> Then slowly, as if talking to a mentally challenged five-year-old: “You were just...in an Animus. An-i-mus. Yes?” She gestures toward the computer in front of ‘us’. “You were using it to access a genetic memory file in Helix, labeled ‘Shay Cormac’? You work for Abstergo Entertainment, remember?! 

Oh. My. God. This makes all the earlier whack-you-over-the-head-with-a-sledgehammer exposition look _brilliant_! I...I just...WHO WROTE THIS? WERE THEY _PAID_?!

> _Any_ of this ringing a bell?” she asks, gesturing wildly.

There are no response options. We can only wait while our ‘character’ (if you can call them that) does nothing—like they _don’t_ comprehend. Just for laughs, let’s make up a few.

( A ) [dial security]

( B ) [flip off]

( X ) “I don’t have to take this.” [walk out]

( Y ) “That virus caused me emotional stress and vision problems. You’ll need to pay up.” 

> “Your session triggered something bad,” the woman goes on, looking around. This floor is dark and silent. “And it’s affecting the whole building. 

Why not...start with that…? If _Rogue_ went from the Animus freaking out, to her freaking out, to the intercom voice, to ‘Sorry for the rough exit. Earpiece working...? Check!’, to here, we’d smoothly bypass that horrific paragraph. And I would have one fewer complaint. 

> We need to find your boss! 

Not ‘ _you_ need to find your boss’? Why ‘we’?

> You haven’t forgotten your boss, have you? 

I pre-ordered this. I actually. Pre-ordered this. With no warning that I’d have to suffer through this ‘conversation’ if I did. 

> Melanie Lemay, super chipper overachiever?”

We’ve been told the boss’s name, and provided with her basic personality description. Thanks, game. Now let go of my hand or I’ll chew your arm off! 

> The woman hands ‘us’ our ~~iPad~~ communicator. “Here—take your communicator, check it if you get lost.”

You have no reason to believe that ‘we’ suffered brain damage—at least none we’re privy to. 

> “Now let’s get out of here! Follow me,” she orders, walking away quickly. “Double time! This chaos is absolutely your fault, in case you’re wondering!”
> 
> Melanie’s by the elevator.
> 
> “What the hell is happening?” she demands.
> 
> The woman looks accusingly at ‘us’.
> 
> “A file labeled ‘Shay Cormac’ was booby-trapped with some kind of virus!”

“An Animus file had a virus attached to it.” Does the file’s label affect the problem’s seriousness in any way, or point to the virus’s origin? Then why mention it?

Let me see if I understand. Shay’s DNA is fine. Putting a computer virus on DNA would be more ludicrous than stopping the Earth from being fried like an egg via touching a magic sphere. (Impossible as that sounds.) Abstergo’s _recording_ of his memories is affected. So ‘we’re’ not reliving them, we’re viewing them?

But why would an Animus be needed and not a high-tech PC? We _have_ to be reliving them, right? Which we can only do through sequenced DNA...and if we’re having problems, that means the DNA’s affected…

*rubs temples, whining* I don’t get it...  

> “Your job is to prevent things like this,” Melanie reminds the woman.
> 
> “We need to contain these genetic memories,” the woman says. “Then we can destroy them.”

Memories. Melanie knows they’re genetic, and so do we. 

> “No.” —A male voice is heard over the speaker on the woman’s earpiece— “Isolate them. I want to study these memories.”

Leave it at ‘them.’

Spoiler Alert: He doesn’t need to explain himself. 

> “But—”
> 
> The man cuts Melanie off sharply. “With respect, Miss Lemay, this is not a request.”
> 
> “You heard the man,” says the woman to Melanie.

See?  

> “Fine.” Melanie doesn’t seem all that put-out over having to follow this order.
> 
> “I need to borrow your numbskull.” The woman gestures toward ‘us’. “That okay with you, Miss Lemay?”
> 
> Melanie turns to ‘us’ and says gently, “Hey there, this might seem a bit weird, but you’re gonna’ work for…

Melanie is nice, and I’d rather her be our companion (like in _Black Flag_ ), but she’s also treating us like we’re five. 

> contractors we hired to, you know, upgrade our security—Mr. Otso Berg and Ms. Violet da Costa.”

Ooo. Juhani Otso Berg, Master Templar, huh? Can’t wait to hang around that guy!

Is that what Melanie meant by, “Your job is to prevent things like this”? How long have they been here? If it’s Day One...  

> The woman—Violet—waves. “Call me Violet.”
> 
> “I have to go check on our people,” Melanie says, heading toward the elevator, “and prepare a statement for the press.” She stops and turns to ‘us’. “Do whatever they tell you to do, okay? GO, TEAM!”

“I have to check on our people and prepare a press statement. Do whatever they tell you, okay? GO, TEAM!”

It’s realistic, it isn’t obvious exposition...Why can’t the entire scene be like this?  

> Melanie leaves, and Violet does a full 360-degree emotional turn when she backpedals—“Technically, you’re not responsible for this. But you’re the one who let the virus out.

“Technically, you’re not responsible. But you let the virus out.

Preventing things like this wasn’t in our job description. We didn’t install the antivirus software; whoever did, blame them. 

> So I think it’s only fair you help me clean it up. Mr. Berg wants us to relive Shay’s genetic memories.”

So it’s only fair you help clean it up.” 

Ohhh. That’s who the voice belonged to. [ :3 ] Cool. Also, WE KNOW THE MEMORIES ARE GENETIC—that’s been explained THREE TIMES.

This answers my ‘reliving or viewing’ question. I’ll venture Juhani isn’t doing it because he has people for that. 

> “To do that, we need to access them from Helix.

Wasn’t that...where we accessed them before—hence, ‘You were using it to access a genetic memory file in Helix’? 

> But the Helix is down. We’ll have to reboot the main servers in the basement.”

But it’s down. We’ll reboot the main servers in the basement.” 

> She heads toward the elevator too, but the building’s power dies.
> 
> “Man,” Violet exclaims, “whoever designed this virus is a genius. Not only does it restrict our access to the Cloud, it’s adapted to fuck up the other operating systems that regulate building functions!”

“Whoever designed this virus is a genius. Not only does it restrict access to the Cloud, it’s adapted to fuck up operating systems that regulate building functions!”

Hee hee hee. *fist-bumps Assassin*  

> Power is partially restored. Lights are on.
> 
> “Melanie,” Violet says on her earpiece, pacing in a circle, “the elevators are out of commission. Are we stuck on this floor?”

“Melanie, the elevators are out of commission. Are we stuck?”

And that’s how the all-powerful Templar Order was defeated by a blackout. You mean to tell me Abstergo doesn’t have stairwells; fire exits?  

> “Damn,” Melanie answers, “yes. I’ll get a repair crew on the site ASAP.”

More excellence. Templars working together on a problem like humans, not mustache-twirling villains. A demonstration of their resources compared to what’s available to the Brotherhood. It’s hard to explain, but I love it. Fire exit thing is still dumb, though.  

> “There’s a working area server on this floor,” Violet tells us. “I guess it’ll have to do for now.”

“There’s a working area server on this floor. It’ll have to do.” 

> “Agent da Costa, I want regular updates on your progress with Shay’s genetic memories.”

“Agent da Costa, I want regular updates on your progress.”

Juhani, please stop being not-awesome. WE KNOW THEY’RE GENETIC MEMORIES, AND THEY’RE SHAY’S, AND YOU WANT THEM. Go kill some Assassins, and don’t bother us. kthnx. 

> “Why?” Violet asks. “He’s just a nobody as far as I can tell.”

“Why? He’s a nobody as far as I can tell.”

> “If Shay Cormac is who I suspect he is,

“If Shay Cormac is who I suspect,

You mean the guy who singlehandedly brought down the Colonial Assassins—you don’t know if he’s that guy? Aren’t Master Templars privy to Templar history, for crying out loud?

If Juhani referenced Shay’s legacy, he’d spoil the ending...so he’s an idiot. You know how to avoid this problem, Ubisoft? Don’t include a Modern Day section, or DON’T INCLUDE A CHARACTER WITH REASONABLE CAUSE FOR HINDSIGHT. 

> then this temporary setback may provide us with an unexpected reward. 

this temporary setback may provide a reward. 

I’m tempted to be intrigued, but I’ll probably end up disappointed.  

> Proceed to the server room on this floor.”

“ _There’s a working area server on this floor_.” Ubisoft, I’m going to ask a question, and I want you to be honest when you answer it. What would you guess is your fans’ average IQ? 

> Violet leans against a nearby desk, messing with her phone. ‘We’re’ left to find the room by ourselves. Her voice comes over ‘our’ earpiece when ‘we’ reach its computer.
> 
> “Do you see a flashing wireless signal? 

If you were here, you’d know. [ :D ]

> Great! That means you can still access systems. Go ahead and patch me into their feed.”

Great! You can still access systems. Patch me into their feed.”

_Rogue_ ’s hacking system—while not awful—carries the same slapdash vibe as the rest of the game. Instead of two (three?) minigames in _Black Flag_ , we’re limited to one, with increasing levels of difficulty. Hand the controller to a small child, tell them to mess with the control stick and bumpers, and they’ll solve it for you. _The hell was wrong with what they had before_?! 

> We’re treated to a speech on Rashid ad-Din Sinan, which unfortunately begins: “The Assassins would have you believe that Al Mualim was a _great_ Mentor who became corrupted with greed. 

In other words: “The Assassins would have you believe that the Mentor was a _great_ Mentor,” which makes no fucking sense. 

> And that he schemed with the Templars to acquire an Apple of Eden. 

That’s precisely what happened.

> I see instead a shrewd and cunning leader. A man who used his best Assassin, Altair ibn-La’Ahad, to eliminate his conspirators in order to keep the Apple for himself, so that he could use it to enforce world peace.

“The Brotherhood is right in saying that Rashid ad-Din Sinan was a great leader. Shrewd and cunning, he used his best Assassin—Altair ibn-La’Ahad—to eliminate his conspirators and keep the Apple for himself, so he could enforce world peace.

The hole in your logic, Juhani, is that if he’d shared possession of the Apple with other Templars, their goal would have been world peace. Rashid was a dark spot in your Order’s history—the worst kind of Templar. 

> While it must be stated unequivocally that Al Mualim was _not_ a Templar,

Er...?

**Robert de Sablé** : “It is your master, [the Mentor].”

**Altair** : “But he is not a Templar!”

**Robert de Sablé** : “[Did you never wonder how it is that he knew so much](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassination_II_\(Robert_de_Sable\))? Where to find us, how many we numbered, what we aspire to attain?”

**Altair** : “He is the master of the Assassins!”

**Robert de Sablé** : “Oui. Master of lies. […] The only difference between your master and I is that he did not want to share.”

Yeah, no. Altair said he wasn’t a Templar, and Robert replied: “Do you have a single independent thought in your head? OF COURSE HE’S A FUCKING TEMPLAR.” Case closed.

> it is interesting to me that his vision of peace was more in line with Templar philosophy than Assassin. 

it’s interesting that his vision of peace was more in line with Templar philosophy than Assassin.

> In the past, both sides had the same goal—that of peace.

In the past, both sides shared his goal. 

> Our only difference was how we chose to achieve it.

Our difference was how we chose to achieve it. 

> Had Al Mualim not been killed by Altair and allowed to carry out his plan,

Had Altair not killed Rashid, and allowed him to carry out his plan, 

> perhaps we would not be fighting now.

perhaps we wouldn’t fight now. 

> It was only _after_ Altair reformed the Brotherhood with its new ideals of free will that the conflict truly escalated, and spread across the planet.

BULLSHIT! Bull. Shit. I call bullshit. The Brotherhood was founded because the original Assassins wanted _peace_? I don’t fucking think so!

“The human contingent [of the Human-Isu War] was led by those […] born immune to the hypnotic effects of […] Pieces of Eden[;] children of […] humans and [isu], hybrids[. They used] their immunity to get close to [isu] and kill them—[and thus were] dubbed ‘Assassins’. […] Those [representing] the Assassins […] envisioned a world where [humans] could live according to their […] will[.] As such, the Creed ‘Nothing is [T]rue, [E]verything is [P]ermitted’ became their philosophy, exemplifying [the belief that all were free to determine their own existence](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Human-Isu_War). They also believed [using] Pieces of Eden to control others was against all [they’d] worked and suffered for, as it would enslave humanity[.]”

* * *

**Rashid** : “He who holds it, commands the hearts and minds of whoever looks upon it. Whoever ‘tastes’ of it, as they say.”

**Altair** : “Then Garnier’s men?”

**Rashid** : “An experiment. Herbs used to simulate its effects, to be ready for when they held it.”

[…]

**Altair** : “And the [...] men who ruled the cities, they meant to gather up their people [and] make them like Garnier’s men?”

**Rashid** : “[The perfect citizens](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassination_\(Majd_Addin\)). The perfect soldiers. A perfect world.”

**Altair** : “Robert de Sablé must never have this back.”

* * *

**Altair** : “[People] [must be free to do what they believe](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassination_\(Jubair_al_Hakim\)). It [isn’t] our right to punish one for thinking what they do, no matter how much we disagree. […] Educate them. Teach them right from wrong. It must be knowledge that frees them, not force.”

* * *

**Rashid** : “What do [Templars] want? A world in which all […] are united. I do not despise [their] goal, I share it. But I take issue with the means. Peace is something to be learned, [...] understood, [...] embraced.”

**Altair** : “[They] would force it.”

**Rashid** : “[And rob us of our free will in the process](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassination_\(Jubair_al_Hakim\)).”

* * *

The Levantine Assassins’ goal was peace, but free will was the means by which they sought to achieve it. To quote Ratonhnhaké:ton, “[Freedom _is_ peace](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Father_and_Son).”

> For if the so-called ‘Wise Man of the Mountain’ can see things from our point of view, surely the same can be said for other Assassins.”

But if the so-called ‘Wise Man of the Mountain’ could see things from our point of view, there may be hope for today’s Assassins.” 

> We return to staring at the server room computer.
> 
> “Uhhh...okay, so...I’m not sure you were supposed to see that,” Violet says over our earpiece.

Juhani told ‘us’ to go to the server room. ‘We’ didn’t purposely hack into restricted files. ‘We’ are safe. 

> “Just, uh...you should just get back to your Animus.  

“Just, uh…get back to your Animus. 

‘We’ aren’t supposed to be aware the Assassin-Templar War is ongoing, and that’s why this is a big deal. Although that wasn’t clear at first. But ‘we’ didn’t do anything wrong.

> With the servers back online, you _could_ in theory restore your co-workers’ work stations, if...you know...you feel like being helpful.

With servers online, you _could_ in theory restore your co-workers’ stations, if…you feel like being helpful.  

> And you _could_ , in theory, find some more digital goodies if you…you know…feel like being sneaky…”

And you _could_ , in theory, find more digital goodies if…you feel like being sneaky…” 

> “Hey,” Violet continues, “one of your co-workers dropped his communicator by the elevator?

He dropped his communicator on the floor...a piece of technology that cost Abstergo a considerable amount to distribute to every employee...and left it there. How is he not fired? 

> If you see any tech lying around like that, grab ‘em. There might be a clue as to who did this.”

If you see tech lying around, grab it. There might be a clue as to who did this.”

I’ll give you three guesses. The first two don’t count.  

> Juhani then speaks, quiet and grim. “Now that you have unlocked Shay Cormac’s memories, we stand on the brink of a grand discovery.

**Violet** : *eagerly* “A way to get rid of the Assassins, once and for all?”

**Juhani** : “What it would take to make Louis Mills look competent.”

> I know you must have questions about your new assignment, or about me. For now, all I will say is that Shay’s story contains the answers. Shay will lead you to a greater understanding.”

‘Shay will lead you to a greater understanding.’ …*dies laughing*

**‘Us’** : “Um…sir? I get the ‘assignment’ thing—but how, exactly, would Shay’s story answer questions about you? He didn’t stumble on a vampire coven, did he?”

**Juhani** : “You aren’t paid to be a smart-ass.”

“We’re on the brink of a grand discovery. I know you must have questions—about your assignment, or me. All I will tell you for now is that Shay will lead you to a greater understanding.”

> We return to the Animus,

trying our best to forget everything that just happened.


	3. Use Gun Holsters to Carry Guns on Your Person

> [Davenport Homestead, March 1752]

Oh, goody—we get to see Abigail and Connor! 

> A young(er) Achilles Davenport reads on a tree stump, wearing Assassin robes, while Shay cuts firewood in the background.

Someone has to, and it might as well be the low man on the totem pole. 

> Liam escorts Adéwalé from his ship to meet with the Colonial Mentor. Achilles chuckles warmly and stands when he sees them.
> 
> “It has been a _long_ time!” He and Adéwalé embrace.
> 
> “Achilles!” Adéwalé greets him.

Yep. Bond between Brotherhood members. Hits me right in the feels. :’3 

> “Adéwalé...How go things in the West Indies?”

Is seventeen years enough time to go from a deep, booming voice to quiet and raspy? 

> “Very poorly, I’m afraid,” Adéwalé reports.
> 
> His troubled expression is reflected upon Achilles’ face. “Your countenance tells me we should discuss this. Come.” He leads Adéwalé toward Davenport Manor.
> 
> Shay slings his axe over his shoulder, and moves closer to Liam. “Who’s our visitor?”

Considering his betrayal, it’s refreshing to hear Shay include himself as part of the Brotherhood and regard the Homestead as his territory; for his curiosity about an Assassin to be borne from respect. 

> “That’s Adéwalé,” Liam informs him. “He was a slave who freed himself and hundreds of his brothers in the West Indies. That man’s a living incarnation of the Creed.”

*points* What he said. [ O-O ] Adéwalé is a true believer who exchanged a self-centered life of piracy for one of humanism and altruism _well_ before Edward Kenway, and his future grandson Eseosa’s hero. 

> “I see,” Shay says, sounding appreciative.
> 
> Liam claps him on the shoulder and heads toward the woods. “You join me for some practice.” It’s more of an order than a suggestion.
> 
> Shay waves Liam on. “Soon. I’ve got…other business first.”

What business? His next objective—which appears after he plants the axe—is ‘Reach the Training Area.’ He tells Liam that he can’t practice with him yet, because he needs to do something…and that something turns out to be ‘practice with Liam.’

Ubisoft should write a book on how this guy’s mind works.

> Shay plants the axe and walks to the manor.

More accurately, Shay plants the axe, and then control is given over to the player—who can make him go to the manor and eavesdrop on Achilles. (Which I think is what, “Soon. I’ve got…other business first” was meant to imply he wanted to do. But then, why wasn’t his objective ‘Eavesdrop on Achilles’?) They can also ignore Achilles and start the training session. Because Ubisoft forgot this is someone’s memory, not a Choose Your Own Adventure book.

So which is it? Does he know what they said (and the player has to be witness to as much of their conversation as he was)—or did he go to the training area without catching a word (and the manor is off-limits)? It can’t be both.

> “Tell me what happened, old friend,” he overhears Achilles saying from the downstairs patio. Louis guards it, making sure they’re undisturbed.
> 
> “It was terrible, Achilles,” Adéwalé replies. “The ground shook, and the ocean waves crashed over Port-au-Prince...”

“It was terrible. The ground shook, and the ocean crashed over Port-au-Prince…”

The tidal wave sounds bad. ‘The ground shook’? That could describe a tremor as much as an earthquake.  

> “How many were lost?” Achilles asks, concerned.
> 
> “ _Thousands_. No family was left untouched.”
> 
> “I hate to bring up practical matters at a time like this, but did Mackandal’s man complete his task before the earthquake hit?”

He hates doing it, yet he’s doing it anyway, not one minute after Adéwalé finished talking about mass casualties and the devastated family members who survived them. A natural disaster killed a bunch of people, that sucks—but more importantly, _did that Assassin do what we told him_?

Look, I understand. Kind of. No one could’ve prevented what happened; those people were doomed, and grieving won’t bring them back. Better to focus their energies on something they _do_ have a say in. And they don’t often cross paths, and they’re busy...but show some respect! 

> “I cannot know. Vendredi has not been found. He was a strong Maroon, one of Mackandal’s best students.” 

“Vendredi has not been found. But he is a strong Maroon, one of Mackandal’s best.” If no one can say for certain that he’s dead, they should refer to him in Present Tense. 

> “Such a shame. So we cannot know if he found the site.”

“A shame. So we cannot know if he found the site.”  

> “Indeed. But if there was a temple under the waves, I doubt it is still standing.”

“If there was a temple under the waves, I doubt it stands.”

> “And the artifacts that showed the way?”

“The artifacts that showed the way?” 

> “Stolen. The Templars broke in during the chaos. They seized the Manuscript and Precursor Box. I gave chase on the sea, but lost their trail when they reached New York.”

“Stolen. Templars broke in during the chaos; they seized the Manuscript and Precursor Box. I gave chase on the sea, but lost their trail at New York.”

Adéwalé doesn’t say _where_ the Templars broke into, or what the Manuscript and Box are for. Achilles didn’t need clarification, so he didn’t give any. Was that so hard, Ubisoft? 

> “We must consider what to do next.”

The million-dollar question. How do you find a shadow organization in a large city when you can’t tell anyone what you’re hunting? They don’t even know which Templars stole the artifacts. Achilles could send someone to New York, have them report what they hear. They may not hear anything useful, but it’s best to try. 

> Shay leaves the manor behind for the training area—about a quarter mile off, at the forest’s edge. A teapot boils on a grate over an open fire. Liam is leaning casually over a wooden fence; a female Assassin sits on it next to him.

Her robes appear similar to a deep purple traditional dress; eighteenth-century women in trenchcoats would be odd. (Not that that stopped Ezio’s female recruits. Then again, they had history’s most badass Mentor on their side.) 

> “ _You_ are late,” the woman scolds him.

They planned a specific time? Why didn’t Liam mention that when Shay blew him off—“Third time this week we’ve started without you”? 

> At this, Liam turns his head and watches Shay stroll into their midst.
> 
> “Hope,” Shay says, unperturbed, spreading his arms in greeting.

I’m calling Hope ‘Elizabeth’ for the review’s duration, so as not to be unduly biased against her. Her real name is overused to the point of cliche. I haven’t forgiven it for ruining a perfectly good ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ episode, wherein a pregnant woman—traveling with her husband and the clothes on their backs—finds a sign: ‘Abandon Hope.’ “How can we abandon hope? It’s all we have.” Later she gives birth to a daughter, and Aang (the show’s protagonist) tells the couple their family makes him hopeful for the future. The woman says she knows what to call the baby.

[Elizabeth’s backstory is almost equally as revolting](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Hope_Jensen). “[A] German couple [symbolized their hope] to build a new life […] in the colonies […] by naming their newly-adopted daughter Hope.” *gags sharply* Also, she’s the third protagonist whose name is four letters long. What are the odds?  

> He looks from them to a Native American Assassin on a bench to his right.
> 
> “What did I miss?” He picks up the teapot and a cup, in no hurry.

" _You_ are late."

“What did I miss?”

> “Only the first hour of training,” replies the Native American.

It took him an _hour_ , sixty minutes, to eavesdrop on Achilles’ and Adéwalé’s brief conversation and walk less than a mile? I’m sorry—huh? 

> Shay nearly rolls his eyes, smiling as he pours tea. “We’re _always training_ , Kesegowaase...”
> 
> “And will _continue_ to _do so_ ,” Kesegowaase admonishes him.

Jeez. It looks like they’re in peacetime. Well...as close as a never-ending war gets. 

> “Do not waste your words,” Elizabeth tells Kesegowaase. “Shay abhors improvement as much as cats abhor leashes.”

This might be funny if Elizabeth wasn’t so transparently annoyed, and didn’t rush. 

> Shay is mock-indignant. “Hey.”
> 
> Elizabeth hops off the fence and comes toward Shay. “A pity.” She runs a hand along his arm. “The boy has so much potential.” Then she addresses him directly—“But so little discipline.”

I can almost see where the ShayxElizabeth people are coming from—you get the sense she might be interested in him. Or maybe I’m imagining things, and that’s not what Ubisoft was going for. If every man doesn’t have to be paired, neither does every woman...which, knowing them, means that’s exactly what they were going for. 

> “All right. All right!” Shay concedes. “What would you have me do?”
> 
> “Well played,” Liam congratulates Elizabeth, as he departs into the shade of the trees. Shay puts his cup aside

with a neat, life-like metallic clang 

> and follows.

She manipulated Shay into getting down to business. Well played, indeed. 

> “So,” Shay says, when they reach a clearing. Liam offers him a pistol. “What’s the challenge today?”
> 
> Shay takes the gun. 
> 
> “Shootin’ straight and true,” Liam answers keenly. “Here—you can use these.”

Say ‘here’ _before_ you hand it over, not after. Otherwise it’s awkward. And ‘these’ implies two-plus; you’ve given him one. Maybe Liam originally _did_ give Shay both pistols at the same time, but whoever animated threw out the script. 

> Shay looks at him in surprise. “These are yours.”

Well, uh...it’s been four years. Supposedly. Where are yours? Yeah, the longer this goes on, the more convinced I am the Wiki doesn’t have a clue what it’s talking about. 

> “Well—” Liam handles a second pistol. “I want you to have half a chance of succeeding.” He gives it to him. “Go on!”

“Well, I want you to have half a chance at succeedin’. Go on!” 

> Shay faces a trio of straw dummies.
> 
> “Shoot these targets,” Liam instructs. “You can take your time.” Then he amends: “But not _too_ much, we have more work after this.”

Had Liam said this ironically, I’d laugh. As it is—why take his time? You haven’t asked him to meet a standard of accuracy. If he points a gun in the dummies’ general direction, blindfolded, and lands a hit _anywhere_ …he wins. 

> Shay finishes two off, emptying both guns. 
> 
> “Reload!” Liam orders behind him.

Is _that_ what you do when you run out of bullets? Thanks, I wasn’t sure… 

> When Shay’s done, Liam resumes stating the obvious. “Anyone can hit targets standing still.”
> 
> Shay looks over his shoulder at him, frowning.

**Shay** : “Either you’re the worst trained killer alive, or you think I am.” 

> “Let’s see how you do on the run.”

Shay should regard this—at best—as a warm-up exercise; after hunting Templars and other assorted distasteful people, this might not even get his blood running. Yet Liam’s treating it as an honest-to-God drill. Is this all he can teach him? Because if so, the depths of my disgust toward Achilles are unfathomable, and I understand how one Templar destroyed the Colonial Brotherhood.

A moving target that isn’t also a living target is impossible. Fine. Which is why you take him hunting—it teaches stealth, tracking, and marksmanship in one go. I bet Ratonhnhaké:ton made it part of his regimen, at least…Oh, God, Ratonhnhaké:ton is a better Mentor than Achilles. *hides face in hands and shakes head* 

> He allows Shay one minute to find six dummies scattered throughout the woods.

Yay time limit. However, he’s forgotten one important thing: Unless Shay does some of that good old-fashioned luck manufacturing, Templars—unlike these dummies—won’t wait alone, exposed, and defenseless. Decent exercise for someone who joined the Brotherhood last week. Worthless to the core for anyone else. 

> This he achieves, as well, before returning Liam’s guns.
> 
> “Well done, Shay,” Liam says. “Keep it up. You’re doing alright, Shay. But don’t let the others vex you. They mean well, though they’ll never show it.”

“You’re doing all right, don’t let the others vex you.”

They’re on his team. They want him to succeed. Beating him down physically— _a la_ Louis—and emotionally isn’t the greatest motivator. Try constructive criticism, example. Show him he can trust and rely on the Assassins, and should want to provide support to newer recruits. That’s what Brotherhood membership is about. 

> Shay leaves Liam to do his own thing, and meets with Elizabeth in a different clearing to see what she has in mind. She hacks at a dummy’s wooden arms and neck with a sword, then impales its cloth sack body. Not far away, two male Assassins make light conversation.

Faintly reminiscent of Assassin dens’ homey atmosphere in _Brotherhood_ and _Revelations_ , where recruits practiced together; chatted; read; did paperwork at a desk; smoked…You caught them at everything but napping on the cushions.

Props to the writers for giving them _something_ to do, instead of acting like their lives revolve around the protagonist…

For...

Any length of time. ( x-x ) He comes within twenty feet, and— 

> Elizabeth’s Shay Radar pings. The men stop talking. She swiftly comes toward him, and the first acidic words out of her mouth are, “It’s about time you showed up.”

It was ridiculous enough the first time she remarked on his punctuality, given that we had no idea he was late for anything. But let’s play Devil’s Advocate. We will assume Shay _knew_ he was expected, but ignored that for a while because he’s sick of training. Liam is finished trying to drag him—it’s his funeral if he’s not adequately prepared for combat.

If that were true, Elizabeth’s crossness would be justified. Some Assassin he is. No wonder he’s never trusted with anything important. But now, Shay is “training”—doing what he’s told, at least. And Elizabeth, as an intelligent human with a functioning brain, is aware he can’t be in three places; she and Kesegowaase will have to find entertainment or make themselves useful as they wait their turn. Simple. Logical. Right? (Unless you attended the Louis-Joseph Gaultier school of logic, in which case all of that becomes batshit-crazy nonsense.)

> “Far be it from me to keep a lady waitin’,” Shay replies dryly.

What’s worse is that…Shay can’t win. Elizabeth doesn’t say this only if he visits her second, she doesn’t say something else if you make her his last priority, and she doesn’t _not_ complain if you make her his _first_ priority. If Shay follows her right after the cutscene, she’ll still turn and say, “It’s about time you showed up.”

> “I’m no lady here,” Elizabeth says, in an insulted tone. “And don’t you forget it. I’m your _teacher_ …and your better.”

Will you take a page out of Liam’s book and _LIGHTEN UP_! What is your _deal_?!

If Ubisoft is asserting she’s a strong woman who doesn’t take crap from her majority-male counterparts, they’re doing it at the expense of player sympathy. Those counterparts haven’t _given_ her crap; to them she’s an Assassin, gender be damned.

If that isn’t their intention...I have no idea. 

> “Well, some of that is true, at least,” quips Shay.

No, sadly, it’s all true. 

> Then he asks—without interest—“What will we be doing?”
> 
> Elizabeth’s voice inexplicably softens as she answers, “Exploring a myriad of ways to end a life.”

Either she feels guilty for her behavior toward Shay, or she’s trying to follow the rule that Assassins aren’t supposed to ‘dance on their enemies’ graves,’ so to speak. 

> Her focus shifts to the onlookers. “You two!”
> 
> They hurry forward, standing at attention. Clad in orange-and-tan uniforms.

(Shay, Liam, Elizabeth, Kesegowaase, Louis, and Achilles don’t wear them, so why does every other Assassin in the Homestead?) 

> “Make yourselves useful and watch Shay,” she orders.

At least she ranks him above these guys. That’s something.

The junior has at least fifteen years on her, so she must be a Master Assassin if she holds influence over them. One of the youngest in history.

> Shay is to rehearse four assassination methods—‘from above’; ‘from a bush’; ‘from a haystack’; and ‘sprinting’—undetected by his sharp-eyed Brothers and Sister.

The first is somewhat technical, and could result in injury if you don’t know what you’re doing. The last, you have to pull off in one fluid motion; you can’t pause to find a weak spot or hesitate for fear of slamming into the target. The other two...much easier. I shouldn’t complain, though—it’s better than Liam’s assignment. If a Colonial Assassin can’t find you while you’re sneaking through the woods, no one can. 

> “Can you kill without being noticed?” Elizabeth challenges.
> 
> Shay leaps nimbly onto a log jutting over the cliff’s edge, and pins a dummy right below him to the ground.
> 
> “Top form, Shay!” she praises.

“Top form!”

Loving the compliment, but...she can see him. Doesn’t that defeat the test’s purpose? Automatic fail. Do-over. 

> As one of the men strolls along the trail ahead, Shay slips into brush. Hidden amongst thick, dark foliage, under near-complete shade, he must be all but invisible.

It’d help if he weren’t wearing a white hood. His dark brown hair might actually profit him in this instance.

One thing _Assassin’s Creed_ hasn’t wrapped its head around is the concept of being unseen but _heard_. As long as a guard doesn’t _see you_ running across a rooftop, as long as they don’t _see you_ in the rafters, you’re home-free. Every time Shay moves, the brush will rustle, inches from the Assassins’ patrol route. He needs to be a statue when he knows they’re within earshot, and creep meticulously slowly when he doesn’t—just in case. 

> “Stay low and stick to the brush,” Elizabeth says. “Be patient, and you might hit your target.”
> 
> Shay runs across the path to hide in another patch of brush. An Assassin sees, and is instantly on alert—the way that a guard in a restricted area would be.

Smart. Does he become aggressive at full alert? I tested that: Stood in an Assassin’s path and waited. He paused—“He’s right there!”—then walked around Shay.

*facepalm* He could shove or tackle him, at least. Or grab and throw him back into the brush before he keeps walking. That’d be hilarious. But the only consequence is that Shay has to hide in “dense vegetation”—brush or a leaf pile—before he can pursue uncompleted objectives.

> “Take the high ground, Shay!” Elizabeth calls. “Dispatching from the air is most effective.” Alternatively, she might say, “Attack from around a corner, and your target will never know what hit him.”

That’s what I’m talking about—constructive criticism. 

> Shay drags a dummy into a leaf pile, which counts as a ‘haystack.’
> 
> “Nicely done,” Elizabeth says. “I am surprised.”
> 
> He sprints and stabs another target—then moves through brush to the penultimate target’s side, grabs and turns it, and drives a Hidden Blade through its abdomen. The dummy he pulled into the ‘haystack’ is magically upright again, so once the patrol passes, he runs back the way he came and tackle-stabs.
> 
> “You certainly know how to…handle yourself.”

Enough with the compliments, they’re devolving, thank you. 

> “You did better than I expected,” Elizabeth admits. She’s a touch more playful, feigning shock as she goes on to say: “Have your skills actually _grown_ , Shay?”
> 
> Then she laughs. “Oh, do not get a swelled head over it.”

“Have your skills actually _grown_? Oh, do not get a swelled head over it.”

*grumble* She’s being pleasant enough. And if getting caught resulted in failure, this’d be a decent assignment for a veteran.

> Provided you don’t leave to meet Kesegowaase for his lesson, and instead follow Elizabeth and the men back to the clearing,

Why would you, unless you’re like me and enjoy screwing around to see what happens?  

> you’ll be treated to an

Can you call it an easter egg? 

> enlightening one-sided conversation. Elizabeth gives the younger Assassin pointers on sword grip and thrust, then duels him as the elder watches. Hang out, and she’ll repeat these five lines in a random order—
> 
> “I would love to talk with you, Shay,” she tells him, impatient. “But this is not the time.”
> 
> “Better go on now,” she says calmly. “The others will be waiting.”
> 
> “Don’t you have other business? No one appreciates it when you are late,” she scolds. “And you are _always_ late…”

This sort’ve offers evidence for my proposition—you might not have explored after the initial cutscene, but Shay is…historically?…supposed to have ditched the first hour. 

> “Remember what I taught you. Be patient. Remain silent. Never let them see you coming.”
> 
> “I will meet you later, Shay. For dinner, perhaps…” You can hear the smile in her voice.

‘I can almost see where the ShayxElizabeth people are coming from’ Ohhh. . .

Why is she attracted to him?

(After his test, Liam shoots at the dummies while saying, ‘We’ll talk later, Shay’; ‘Don’t let Chevalier get in your head—he’ll come around’; and ‘Let’s have a pint later.’ Even his extra dialogue is boring.)

> Kesegowaase sits on a high, curved tree trunk around the corner.
> 
> “Shay,” he says, “follow me. It is time you learned to survive in the frontier.”

“Follow me. It is time you learned to survive in the frontier.”

I won’t hold my breath for actual survival skills.  

> Shay’s annoyed. Here he is—in the frontier, alive.
> 
> “I think I’ve been managing well enough so far.”

“I think I’ve managed well enough so far.” 

> “Perhaps. But there is more I can teach you.”

Trivia: Mistime a jump and land on the ground, and Kesegowaase will say, “Good Assassins _never_ fall.” I doubt Assassins aren’t killed in falls every day, given their proclivity for climbing to obscene heights. 

> They jump from tree to tree, running across limbs and swinging around trunks as natural as breathing, until they reach a cliff.
> 
> “It is time for the hunt,” Kesegowaase says. “Use all your senses together to find prey.”
> 
> He follows on the ground as Shay moves steadily through the trees, then perches, scanning with Eagle Vision. There’s a golden glow in a lower clearing—an elk walking over an outcrop, through brush.

“Though each average human holds the potential to utilize it through [an intense and very long [period of] training](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Eagle_Vision), some gifted individuals display a greater concentration of the necessary [isu] genes, and thus are more likely to naturally exhibit Eagle Vision[.]”

Yet every character we play can use it from the start. (That’s a lot of ‘gifted individuals’.) And there’s nothing to indicate any of them struggled with it. Except one: How is it that Desmond Miles—who has a 1-in-10,000,000 concentration of isu genes—needs the Bleeding Effect to trigger Eagle Vision, but Shay Cormac, who has no distinguished lineage, gets off so easy?

> Shay doesn’t have a gun, so he has to air-assassinate the animal.
> 
> “Killing should not be meaningless. We must use what nature gives us.” Kesegowaase has Shay skin the elk. “Good. Now to use what you have taken from nature.”

“Killing should not be meaningless. […] Good. Now to use what you have taken from nature.” 

> Shay makes gun holsters out of the hide.

Hunting is a survival skill. But what, exactly, has he ‘taught’ Shay—not to discard kills like refuse? That’s elementary. In addition to crafting, how else does the Brotherhood get most of its meat? And selling pelts would buy vital supplies like ammunition.

> “With these, you can keep your pistols close. 

_What pistols_? Spare Hidden Blades should be harder to come by than firearms, yet he has two Hidden Blades and zero pistols.

Even if he did have them, I’d omit this line. Use gun holsters to carry guns on your person. No, duh. 

> Achilles has one more thing to show you. Do not be late next time.”

Impressively, Liam doesn’t win Worst Lesson Plan of the Day; his time limit gave a semblance of difficulty, however negligible. Kesegowaase isn’t at fault, he couldn’t have known, but that elk gift-wrapped itself. Some hunt. No using Eagle Vision to track; no trap-setting; no hiding to avoid scaring off prey. Just sheer, dumb—nope! Not gonna’ say it. 

> Achilles is behind Davenport Manor,

Abigail and Connor nowhere to be found (she and Achilles are in love, and their son is an adorable four-year-old Assassin-in-training; how can you not want to show that?), 

> near a cliff overlooking ships docked in the bay.

Lottt of cliffs around here.

Sorry, moving on. 

> “Shay!” Achilles greets cheerfully, turning toward him with two pistols in hand.

Go ahead—call me a grammar nazi for paying so much attention to dialogue fixes, but if I weren’t tossing practically every instance of his name being said (in my edits), I’d be climbing the walls. It’s surprising how relaxed I am. 

> “I hear you’ve become quite the marksman!”

He sucked until today, when he was deemed adequate because of a five-minute test. 

> Achilles hands Shay the pistol set.

*stops self from facepalming* *glares at ceiling and mutters under breath* 

> “A generous gift,” Shay says, obliged, accepting them. “Thank you…Mentor.”

While he doesn’t place his dominant hand to his heart in a fist, and bow his head—the typical Assassin sign of respect for their Brothers and Sisters (especially their Mentor)—he _does_ respect Achilles, and would probably do most anything he asked. That’s a rare enough occurrence in _Assassin’s Creed_ lore. And it makes me want to hug him.

> Achilles nods, then is startled when Adéwalé joins them, proclaiming, “My ship awaits, Achilles.” He turns around to face their Brother.

“My ship awaits.” 

> Shay holsters his guns and comes to Achilles’ side.
> 
> “The people of Haiti will make good use of your supplies,” Adéwalé vows. He shakes Achilles’ hand firmly. “I trust you will retrieve what has been lost.”

I’d ask why the Haitian Assassins can’t pitch in, but I suppose they’ll have their hands full with the relief effort. The Colonial Assassins aren’t otherwise engaged. 

> “Lost?” Shay feigns ignorance. He wasn’t supposed to have been listening.
> 
> “The Templars stole two precious artifacts,” Achilles explains.

Because real Assassins don’t keep secrets from their fellows.

“Templars stole two precious artifacts,”  

> “A manuscript of ancient wisdom, and a box that allows one to understand its language.”
> 
> “I have tracked the Templars as far as this coast,” Adéwalé likewise sees fit to notify Shay. Then he looks at Achilles. “But I fear the rest is up to you, my friend.”

“I’ve tracked them as far as this coast. But the rest is up to you, my friend.” 

> “Farewell, Adéwalé,” Achilles replies solemnly.

“Farewell.” Or cut to—  

> They shake hands again. Adéwalé turns and leaves.
> 
> Achilles guides Shay back toward the manor.
> 
> “Whoever controls the artifacts can access Precursor sites of power,” he warns, impressing upon his recruit the seriousness of their quest. “We must recover them, or none are safe.”

“Whoever controls the artifacts can access formidable Precursor sites. We must recover them, or none are safe.” 

> Then he sets Shay free to do as he will; Shay searches the Homestead for Liam. Oddly, he’s at the end of a dock by the _Morrigan_.
> 
> Shay nudges Liam’s arm. “Where to?”

I assume he means: Where does Liam intend to sail? Because why else would he stare at the ship? 

> “Wherever Templar affairs lead us,” Liam answers, matter-of-factly.

Come again? 

> “Liam,” Shay teases, “it’s not like you to set out without a plan.”

Who’s ‘us’? 

> “Plan or no plan,” Liam says in a serious tone, “we choose our own battlefield.”

Are you speaking in riddles? 

> “And hey—” Liam smiles, trying to lighten the mood he’s been so adept at assassinating. “Are we not most at ease when we’re at sea?”

That last part is exposition, and it all comes out of nowhere. _Why are they having this conversation_?! It’s so bizarre, I’d swear it was a dream sequence. 

> “Right you are!” Shay agrees. “Let’s set sail.”

To…where? Why? What? Why are you leaving? No one gave orders…


	4. Shay is an Idiot, Just Not For the Reason I Postulated

> Shay and Liam sail on the Atlantic by wooded cliffs. The waters are still, and the sky is clear. Crewmen scurry about the deck below. They’ve a ways to travel. 
> 
> [Halifax, April 1752]
> 
> “We only have one lead, Shay,” Liam says. “Let’s hope it brings us closer to the artifacts.”

Even if it’s only been a day, they should’ve already discussed this.

Lead…lead…what is he talking about, ‘lead’…? Hm. “ _Templars_ […] _seized the_ [ _artifacts_.] _I_ […] _lost their trail at New York_.” Are they going to New York, then? Doubtful, as they’re way up north past it and they’d have to sail _south_ from Davenport Homestead. 

> “So Achilles tasked _you_ with this mission?” Shay sounds almost jealous.

If he is, he needs to suck it up. Achilles is going to call on Liam before he ever does Shay; that’s how it works. 

> “No,” Liam answers. “He tasked me to task you.

Given that Achilles told Liam to come along, he might’ve decided to see how Shay handles responsibility. Liam is insurance—even if Shay fails, he won’t. (I love how I have to speculate so much for a game that’s exposition borders on breaking the Fourth Wall, and that repeats itself so often its characters may as well have short-term memory issues.)

What reason could Achilles have for not delegating the assignment to Shay personally? He was _right there_! Right in front of him! 

> You need to find what was stolen from Mackandal, Shay. You have to recover the Precursor Box and Manuscript. This is your mission.”

Find what was stolen from Mackandal.” 

> “And what’s yours?” Shay asks, nonchalant.

“And what’s your mission?”  

> Liam laughs shortly. “Watch your arse.”
> 
> “Achilles doesn’t really trust me, does he?” Shay’s upset by this fact, though more discouraged than frustrated.

Shay might be a decent warrior and a believer in the cause, but stealthy, patient, and diligent he isn’t. No one can blame Achilles if he thinks Shay might endanger himself or others on his own. 

> “Give it time, Shay,” Liam advises. “Do this for _him_. For us. And you’ll do much more than earn his trust.”

Advance in rank? Or is he simply referring to the good Shay will accomplish by completing the mission?  

> Shay changes topic. “Liam, do you know what Achilles writes about?

“Do you know what he writes about?

*blink* Where did _that_ train of thought come from? 

> I see him in his office all the time, bent over his papers.”

I see him in his office all the time, bent over papers.” 

> “He keeps records and accounts,” Liam says. “Studies what little is known about the Pieces of Eden. And of course he corresponds with Assassins on other continents.”

Huh. Something _Rogue_ got right that _Assassin’s Creed I_ got wrong.

 _Assassin’s Creed I_  was everyone’s introduction to Pieces of Eden…but with exception of Rashid, the Levantine Assassins (even Masters like Altair and Malik) acted like Solomon’s Temple was the first they’d heard of them, too. In _Rogue_ , their existence is common knowledge among the Brotherhood. Almost like…they’re supposed to guard them, or something.  

> “‘Of course’? Liam, you can be a right horse’s arse when it comes to assumin’ everyone knows the same as you.”

“‘Of course’? You’re a right horse’s arse when it comes to assumin’ everyone knows the same as you.”

Yes, stop assuming he knows things. He isn’t that bright. Hence why it’s taken him four years to ask this question.

Theoretically, it’s possible Shay never realized that every Brotherhood across the globe is connected. They share a goal and ideology, but again: Not bright, doesn’t pay attention. Problem is—it was only possible _before_ Adéwalé showed up at the Homestead.  

> “I cannot help if Achilles wants me to be familiar with our counterparts in Europe, and elsewhere,” replies Liam.

No. Do not validate his ignorance. _Do not_. This isn’t something only the Second-in-Command would be aware of.

Commenting exclusively on dialogue for this long of a stretch feels weird, but they’re just sailing and talking, talking and sailing…  

> “Said like his favorite son.”
> 
> “Connor’s his favorite, and only, son.”

“Connor’s his favorite.” 

> “And Achilles’ heir,” Shay adds.

Heir to the manor, yes. Liam knows, therefore shut your face. 

> “Connor may inherit the house, but you’ll be Mentor.”

If they’d stopped after ‘Connor’s his favorite,’ and skipped to ‘Connor may…’  

> “We’ll see,” Liam replies carefully.

Either he doubts he’ll live that long, or he’s trying to appear modest for Shay’s sake.

Maybe Achilles could pick Elizabeth or Kesegowaase, but Liam’s been an Assassin longer and (more importantly) recruited someone. Not to mention he’s charismatic and friendly enough that most Assassins would gladly follow him. You know…provided they weren’t getting the shit beat out of them while he watched. No, I don’t think I _will_ let that go. Ever. 

> “Whatever you say,” Shay teases, “Prince Regent of the Assassins.”

Hooray for not being a jealous asshole!  

> “You call me that again, I’ll throw you in the ocean!” Liam says, laughing.
> 
> They wind up at a naval fort…where our good friend Louis—

He was at the Homestead no more than eight hours before they left (and that’s almost certainly too generous). As far as I know, _Le Gerfaut_ doesn’t convert into a jet. Or become invisible.  

> —is too busy conversing with a dockside merchant to notice their arrival. “Trust me, you will sell those lobsters by the _ton_ in France.”
> 
> Liam stays aboard the ship. Shay walks up, and Louis turns to appraise him.

Cue irrationality in three, two… 

> “Ahhh,” he exclaims, in an uncommonly good mood. “The cabbage farmer has returned. About time.”

Cabbage…farmer? Is it just me, or does that not make an atom-sized speck of sense?

Maybe Shay’s family were—? *[checks Wiki, adjusting glasses](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Shay_Cormac)* “[B]orn in New York, to a family of Irish immigrants”…“mother died in childbirth” (find the defibrillator, I’m about to go into cardiac arrest from shock)…“father often absent from home due to his profession as a merchant marine, leaving [Shay’s aunt to raise him]”…“[lived] in a rough part of the city”…“joined his father at sea”…“wandered New York’s streets, picking fights in taverns”…then became an Assassin. No mentions of cabbage, farming, or any combination of the two.

Christ, this guy is insane.  

> They head back toward the _Morrigan_. “We have a lead on that curious Manuscript.”

He doesn’t know Liam told Shay. And given the Brotherhood’s unexplainable tendency to explain jack squat to Shay on missions, Louis can’t be blamed for not assuming he has a clue what he’s doing.  

> “I’d be surprised if you could read it,” Shay retorts, smirking.
> 
> Louis frowns, eyes narrowing as he seriously wonders if Shay has a brain, then pauses. “No one can read it, imbecile…” He shakes his head; his expression softens. “This is why the Templars are taking so long with it.” He glances to make sure they’re not overheard. “But one of our allies has caught a glimpse of their work.”

“No one can, imbecile…This is why the Templars are taking so long. But our ally caught a glimpse of their work.”

Gotta’ hand it to him—he pulled off a very convincing impression of a decent human being. (Needs to be committed, but decent.) Upset when Shay’s stupid, calm when he’s not, and _telling him useful_ , _important things_!

* * *

As near as I can discern, this ally’s information has to be the lead Liam mentioned earlier: The Wiki presents [November 21, 1751](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Vendredi) as Vendredi’s death date; Lawrence Washington kills him on the day Haiti’s rocked by an earthquake that Vendredi causes through disturbing the isu temple there. Lawrence uses the earthquake’s ‘devastation’ as ‘an excellent cover for’ stealing the artifacts from the local Assassin camp. Then hightails it to Barbados and writes a letter dated 1751 to his Templar compatriot Christopher Gist, saying that he’ll be on his way to Virginia when Christopher receives said letter.

Later, between November 22 and December 31 of that year, Babatunde Josephe writes his father Adéwalé from Port-au-Prince (the city leveled by the earthquake). “Our contacts in the colonies to the north have revealed that [Lawrence Washington has returned there with the stolen artifacts in his possession](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/War_letters). Your old friend Achilles is there. I suggest you seek him out.” The ‘colonies to the north’ obviously meaning America.

“Our contacts” Plural. Is it Achilles’ Brotherhood, or another, unknown group?

“Lawrence Washington returned there” Assume that I know _nothing_ about travel time by ship, and Lawrence could make it from Haiti to Barbados to Virginia in forty days or less. Am I to understand he did all that _and_ word of his arrival reached Port-au-Prince before New Year’s, yet did _not_ reach Davenport Homestead, Massachusetts—a.k.a. _the colonies’ base of Assassin operations_ , _much_. _much_. _closer_. _than_. _Haiti_? And that, despite having dozens of contacts in and around New York—where Adéwalé tracks Lawrence to—Elizabeth Jensen doesn’t hear about it, or doesn’t act on the information?

“with the Pieces of Eden” As of December 1751 (one month before the game begins), the mysterious ‘contacts’ know exactly who possesses the artifacts and at least _roughly_ where to find them. Theoretically, Assassin allies from the colonial region would speak to the Colonial Brotherhood. So even though Adéwalé doesn’t say a peep about this letter in his Homestead visit, there’s no reason the theft would be news; no reason Shay’s not hunting Lawrence the instant we fire up Sequence 1. None at all. Except that a trained monkey could write a better script than Richard Farrese.

At present, said contacts have been silent for almost half a year. And Liam doesn’t mention the words ‘Lawrence Washington’ or ‘Mount Vernon,’ so we can be about 99.9999% sure that isn’t their lead.

Then what is?

Well, he brings up the fact that they “only have one lead” after he and Shay have sailed for presumably about a week. One can infer from his timing that he either likes repeating himself (yes, yes he does), or they’ll soon investigate the aforementioned lead. They pick up Louis on their next stop, who tells Shay “one of [their] allies has caught a glimpse of [the Templars’] work [with the Manuscript]”—they’ve actually seen the thing, or at least translations/letters concerning it. And might know its location.

Funny thing is….Liam must’ve known the artifacts were missing and that the ally had seen the Manuscript, and told Louis but nobody else (on second thought, the day Liam betrays Achilles is the day Ubisoft stops retconning)...Or found out they’d seen it on the same day that he learned about the theft. There are no Crystal Skulls of Eden here, and I don’t care how progressive the Assassins are (or how revisionist the Templars when it comes to history)—they’re not inventing email two centuries ahead of schedule.

* * *

> “A pirate?” Shay asks.

Ah, of course—that’s the first thing that comes to his mind because…um…Louis’s last statement, which he is responding to, provided context—?

No…

All of their allies are pirates—?

No…

He has reason to believe the artifacts are currently aboard a ship—?

Nah, that’s not it either…

He read the script—?

Yeah, probably. 

> “A spy who works with the pirates,” Louis replies. “We set sail for Anticosti. That should prove a good test for this floating cesspit you call a ship.”

Shay went over twice that distance to get here.

“A spy who works with the pirates. We sail for Anticosti.” 

> When Shay next takes the _Morrigan_ ’s wheel, his objective is ‘Locate a Royal Navy Schooner.’

Are they ship-watching? Might as well be ‘Locate a Penguin’ for all the good it does their mission. 

> “How trustworthy are the pirates?” he asks Louis, who’s standing on the upper deck to his left; Liam to the right.

Somebody please tell me what hat he pulled this pirate idea out of. 

> “I consider them brothers, Shay,”

“I consider them brothers,”

Why? 

> Louis says emphatically. “When the time comes, they will lend aid and help us fight the Templars!

Now. The time is now. 

> If only the _Rosbif_ would realize the Templars were pulling their strings…”

If only the _Rosbif_ realized the Templars pull their strings…”

‘Rosbif’, by the way, being a French term for the English. 

> “Are the Templars truly in control in the colonies?” Shay knows the answer, but doesn’t want to believe it.
> 
> “Not quite,” Louis hedges, as they sail past snowy, forested cliffs and floating ice. “But their influence reaches far and wide.”
> 
> “And what about the spy we’re meeting?”

The spy isn’t in control of the colonies. I promise.

On another note: Hey, look—‘spy’! A word he should use to describe someone of unknown occupation _spying_ on the Templars’ progress! Good job, Shay; here—have a dictionary! 

> “You need not worry about Le Chasseur,” Louis assures dismissively. “He is loyal to the Brotherhood. 

Is he? I suppose you might be about to explain why—?  

> As it happens, he also has friends in both the French _and_ English fleets. And he knows more about what goes on in these parts than you can _ever_ hope to learn.”

“As it happens, he has friends in the French _and_ English fleets. And he knows more about what goes on in these parts than you can _ever_ hope to learn.”

But…why’s he loyal to the Assassins? How does he know about them; what’s his story? 

> Shay changes the subject. “So, Liam, what can you tell me about Adéwalé? You obviously admire the man.”

*blinks*…*clears throat* “ _He was a slave who freed himself and hundreds of his brothers in the West Indies_. _That man’s a living incarnation of the Creed_.” *whacks Shay in the back of the head for not having an attention span longer than thirty seconds* You’re welcome, Liam.

When I think of all the stuff that could be cut from this game…how short it’d be…

“So, Liam, can you tell me more about Adéwalé? You obviously admire the man.” 

> “Aye,” Liam says quietly, with reverence. Then—strong and clear: “I had the honor of working with him once. I’ve never known anyone who’d done so much for our cause…but it’s much more than that.”

“Aye. I had the honor of working with him once. I’ve never known anyone else who’s done so much for our cause.”

Liam isn’t just basing his admiration on stories. However, we don’t know what their mission entailed, or Adéwalé’s list of accomplishments. Not that freeing hundreds of slaves isn’t a tremendous win for the Brotherhood (and the Order), but no other local Assassin has a similarly impressive track record? Maybe it’s a slow era. 

> Louis chimes into their conversation with far more enthusiasm. “Adéwalé was already a legend before joining the Brotherhood. He was a _pirate_ , the scourge of the West Indies! Rubbing elbows with the likes of Blackbeard, Woodes Rogers, and Calico Jack Rackham.”

“Adewale was a legend before joining the Brotherhood. He was a pirate, scourge of the West Indies.”

According to him, piracy—stealing and killing to get ahead—is worthy of commendation. Because pirates defy the law, and fought for Nassau’s independence? They want freedom (for themselves—which he could understandably respect), but aren’t usually good people. A real Assassin wouldn’t idolize them; Adéwalé, for example, says that life taught him valuable skills, but he isn’t proud.

Woodes Rogers was a Templar, by the way. Dumbass.  

> “Calico who?” Shay replies blankly.

Have I mentioned I love him? Who gives a single _fuck_ about those people?

Oh, right, _Black Flag_ fans. Allow me to amend: Who in Canon, on that ship—besides Louis—gives a single _fuck_ about those people?

*crickets* 

I’ll let you get back to me on that. 

> “Oh, read a _book_ , will you?” Louis says, exasperated.

“Oh, read a _book_ …” 

> “About twenty years ago,” says Liam, “Adéwalé intercepted a Templar convoy and stole a mysterious package. He traveled to Port-au-Prince, and entrusted it to a woman he believed was loyal to our cause.”

“About twenty years ago, he intercepted a Templar convoy and stole a mysterious package, which he then entrusted to a woman in Port-au-Prince loyal to the Assassins.” 

> “Let me guess,” Shay says. “She wasn’t?”

You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Since Liam said Adéwalé _believed_ she was loyal, not: ‘[E]ntrusted it to a woman loyal to our cause.’ But that’s because you’re using your brain. Silly thing to do in this game, really. 

> “Ah, she was,” Liam replies. “Very much so. The package eventually found its way to Francois Mackandal, Mentor of the Haitian Brotherhood.”

“Eventually it founds its way to Francois Mackandal, Mentor of the Haitian Brotherhood.” 

> “What is it? The package, I mean.”

“What was it?”

Of course that’s what you meant! What other interpretation is there?!

On second thought, I take it back: _Pleeease_ use your brain. 

> “The very box we’re seeking.”

“The Box.”  

> Shay spots a fleet through his spyglass.
> 
> “There, Captain!” Liam points out a schooner loaded with wood and metal. “An English vessel—and she looks to be in trouble!”
> 
> They hear cannonfire.
> 
> “That’s fine indeed,” Shay replies coolly. “Perhaps we should aid her journey to the bottom of the sea.”
> 
> “Let’s not be too hasty, she’s full of Crown cargo. Take a look through your spyglass and see for yourself.”

“Let’s not be hasty, she’s full of Crown cargo.” 

> “A pretty sight,” Shay comments. “I say this is a good day to lighten King George’s pockets.”

‘We sail for Anticosti.’ —> Shay leaves the fort. —> ??? —> Shay goes out of his way to blow up ships and steal whatever’s aboard.

I feel like I’m watching _Black Flag_. The Assassins need money and supplies, but he has more important things to do. 

> “Be careful!” Liam warns him again. “A few shots should be enough to cripple her. Too much damage and she’ll go down with all souls. And all spoils.”

“A few shots should cripple her. Too much damage and she’ll go down with all spoils. And all souls.” For Assassins—who value human life above material gain—it should be the other way around. 

> “We can board and loot her before the crew knows what hit them.”

*ejects disk from XBox, checks title* *puts disk back in* 

> They gather metal from the boat’s cargo, and have a new goal: Sail to Perce.

Also not Anticosti.

 **Louis** : “Sometime before 1753 would be nice!”  

> “The sea between here and Anticosti is rough, Captain,” Liam advises. “We should strengthen the _Morrigan_ before going any farther. There’s a harbourmaster stationed nearby. We can spend our new wealth on improvements.”

*cuts scene into strips* *pastes in new order*

‘We sail for Anticosti.’

‘The sea between here and Anticosti is rough. We should strengthen the _Morrigan_ before going farther.’

‘There, Captain! An English vessel—and she looks to be in trouble!’

-Cargo is Raided-

‘A harbourmaster’s stationed nearby; we can spend our new wealth on improvements.’

Objective: Sail to Perce.

*steps back to admire* Look at all the cohesiveness… [ ;~; ] LOOK AT IT. <3 

> Shay makes more small talk. “I didn’t realize there was a Brotherhood in Haiti.”

I was half-correct: Shay _is_ an idiot, just not for the reason I postulated. It wasn’t that he didn’t know the Colonial and Haitian Brotherhoods were connected; he didn’t consider non-Colonial Assassins might exist. Because that place is special and everyone else on Earth hates freedom.  

> “Yes,” Liam replies. “Francois Mackandal is their Mentor. He gathers many of his Assassins from the Maroons.”

“Francois gathers many of his Assassins from the Maroons.”

I’m having this…odd sense of deja vu. Why could that be, I wonder? 

“ _Very much so_. _The package eventually found its way to Francois Mackandal_ , _Mentor of the Haitian Brotherhood_.” 

Definitely. Yes. That is definitely it.  

> “Those are escaped slaves and their children, right?” asks Shay.
> 
> “They are. It’s a shame, though—they escaped terrible conditions, only to be killed in that earthquake…”

“Yes. It’s a shame—they escaped terrible conditions, only to be killed in that earthquake…”

[ ;~; ] Awww…  

> “But…Haiti’s a French colony, no?”

‘But’?  

> “Aye, it is.”
> 
> “And here, the Assassins are helping King Louis. But in Haiti, the French own the slaves who are set free by the Assassins.”

“And here, the Assassins help King Louis. But in Haiti, the French own slaves freed by Assassins.”

I haven’t seen them fight for one side or the other. Does he mean that by opposing the British, the Colonial Assassins help the French? But they don’t oppose them on a consistent basis—the British captured their allies, so they had to die. They’d have done the same if it was the French. What is he _saying_?  

> “Our struggle is beyond political borders, Shay,” Liam says.

“Our struggle is beyond political borders.”

Nothing we’ve seen can be misconstrued as ‘the Colonial Assassins back the French Army.’ Or any army.  

> The seaside town of Perce comes into view ahead.
> 
> “Is this the place?” Shay asks. “I see nothing but fishermen and their gear.”

I see Perce, cliffs, icebergs, and water. _He_ sees fishermen. _Damn_ he has good eyesight! 

> “Aye,” replies Liam. “Perce and fishing go hand-in-hand. But it will serve our purposes well enough.”

Yeah, a fishing village might not be the best place to find naval upgrades… 

> Shay upgrades the _Morrigan_ ’s hull and cannons.
> 
> “We should resume course to Anticosti, Captain,” Liam tells him when he boards again.

“We should resume course.” 

> “Indeed,” Louis finally speaks up. “Le Chasseur is waiting for us.”

“Indeed. Le Chasseur is waiting.”

Remember the good old days of the Ezio Trilogy and _Assassin's Creed III_ , when Ubisoft told you what non-English words meant? ‘Le Chasseur’ is ‘The Hunter’ in French. Thank you, dictionary! Would you mind explaining why Louis always refers to this contact as ‘The Hunter’ instead of…calling him by his name? That’d be great. 

> “The sea between here and Anticosti is rough, Captain,” Liam says.

*stares at screen, jaw going slack*

“ _The sea between here and Anticosti is rough_ , _Captain_ ,” _Liam advises_. “ _We should strengthen the_ Morrigan _before going any farther_.

I don’t know whether to be pissed…or astounded. Pissed because I can add this to the heap of evidence that Ubisoft no longer gives a shit, which will soon tower over Mount Everest. Astounded because I’ve just witnessed _Rogue_ ’s writers graduate from ‘Young Adult Dystopia’ to ‘Junior College Creative Writing’; not only are they repeating themselves, they’ve devolved into repeating themselves _word_ - _for_ - _word_. Next stop, ‘Self-Insert Fanfiction’! And then…oh, jeez, what’s worse than self-insert fanfiction… 

> “But the _Morrigan_ seems sturdy enough for the challenge.”

Nope! Adding this doesn’t _begin_ to make up for it. 

> They find a group of small British ships, along with other boats not flying flags.
> 
> “Ships ahoy!” a crewman calls out.
> 
> “More fishermen from Perce,” Liam informs him. Nothing to worry about.
> 
> “Enemy ships!” another sailor cries as they get nearer and the British fire.
> 
> “They’re sinking the fishing boats!” Shay realizes in horror.
> 
> “They must believe those fishermen strayed into their waters,” Liam says.
> 
> “Those cowards must pay.” To Louis’s right, fishing boats are torn apart, many of their sailors dead or drowning.

Concern for others’ well-being…code of honor…more three-dimensionality than eight Cesare Borgias put together….I feel guilty for making fun of him. A little.

> “And would you look at that,” Shay says cheerfully. “Standing right in our way to Anticosti.

They aren’t. He would have to go out of his way to pass through the…‘battle.’ But I don’t think this is another example of his idiocy—rather, it’s his dry sense of humor. ‘ _Welp_ , _I guess we have no choice but to get involved_.’ ‘ _Uh_ … _yes_ , _we do_ —’ ‘ _Shut up_.’  

> What say you—we sink every last one of them?”

What say you? Sink every last one of them?”  

I’d understand if the Colonial Assassins decided to back the French Army now—they’d condemn all British soldiers for the actions of a few, but not totally without justification.

> “For once, I find myself agreeing with you, Shay,” Louis answers pleasantly.

“For once, I find myself agreeing with you.” 

> “Stranger things have happened,” Shay replies with amusement.
> 
> They make short work of the Royal Navy.
> 
> “That’s the last of them,” Shay says, as the final boat sinks.

Hush.  

> “Then let us go on,” Louis says. 

**Louis** : _I could have swam here faster_.  

> “We’re not too far from Anticosti Island now,” Liam remarks.

“We’re not too far.” 

> “Will your friend the spy be waiting for us?” Shay asks Louis.

*pauses game* *scrolls up* *records audio*

*comes back and presses Play* “ _Indeed_. _Le Chasseur is waiting_.” 

> “Yes,” Louis replies. “I hope Le Chasseur has more information about the Manuscript.”
> 
> “Maybe he’ll have the whole thing figured out for us,” Shay says optimistically.

“Maybe your friend the spy has the whole thing figured out for us.” 

> “And maybe I’m Emperor of Rome,” Liam says.

Meh. Not as funny as it would’ve been without ‘Prince Regent.’ Not that I regret that for a millisecond. 

> “Ave, Caesar!”

Translation: ‘Hail, Caesar!’ *wheezes with laughter*

Had to look it up; I didn’t have the faintest what ‘Ave’ meant, and the game didn’t tell me. 

> A few moments of silence later, with their destination still a pinpoint, he changes the topic: “Salt air, open skies…a man out on the ocean is as free as a man can be.

“Salt air, open skies…a man on the ocean is as free as he can be. 

> What do you say, Liam?”

What does he say to what? You haven’t proposed anything. 

> “We’re out here for a reason, Shay,” Liam chides. “Mind your duty.”

“We’re out here for a reason. Mind your duty.” 

> “Well, what is the point of freedom if you cannot breathe deep and enjoy it?” Shay asks.

Someone needs to point out that none of this is about _his_ freedom. 

However…Don’t be impossible, Liam. Had Shay said, ‘Let’s take the day,’ then yes, he isn’t committed enough. But he was just thinking out loud and enjoying himself for once as he traveled straight toward the mission objective. What rational person calls that a dereliction of duty?

> “The Templars stick to this continent like tar,” Liam says hatefully. “I won’t feel liberated until we pry them off!”

Nor _your_ freedom, sorry to say. (Nonetheless, that is badass.) 

> “Seems to me we should just talk to them like men,” Shay replies, casual. “Instead of skulkin’ around.”

**Liam** : *eyes him sideways* “You’re trying to be funny, right? Tell me that was a horrible joke.”

Oh yeah, Shay, no Assassin has _ever_ considered trying to _stop_ the endless sabotage, fighting, and murder that is their life. They’re bloodthirsty, mindless drones, amirite? It couldn’t possibly be that these organizations believe wholeheartedly in vastly different, clashing ideologies, and any middle ground they might imagine would be too constricting for Assassins but too hands-off for Templars. In the immortal words of William Miles: “If there were to be unity, it wouldn’t be a truce so much as a submission.” 

> “And would you smile and wish them a good day as they lay their _boot on your neck_?!” Louis’s amiable voice becomes increasingly hostile as he goes on.

[ O-O ] …*high-fives Louis, then glares at him* Don’t get used to it.

If an Assassin goes over to chat with a Templar, said Templar will shoot them between the eyes. 

> “Of course not,” Shay replies.
> 
> “They’re murdering bastards who want to control the world and everyone in it,” snarls Liam. “Never forget.”
> 
> “And we have nothing in common with _that_ , of course,” Shay says sarcastically.

“And we have nothing in common with _that_.”

Lesse’. Murdering bastards who want to control the world, and murderers who only kill said bastards to prevent them from controlling the world…Yep—absolutely the same thing! Shut up, you have no idea what you’re talking about. 

> Louis ignores him. “There it is—Anticosti!” he says, as the coastal…town? comes into view. “Le Chasseur should be there, and with any luck he will know where to find that Manuscript.”

*wonders if Animus virus made everyone into broken records*

“There it is!”  

> “Dock the ship here, Captain,” Liam tells Shay as he docks the ship. “We’ve arrived at Anticosti Island.”

No. Shit.


	5. I Never Want to Hear the Word ‘Manuscript’ Again

> Shay’s objective changes from ‘Sail to Anticosti Island’ to ‘Talk to the Spy.’ He disembarks, leaving Liam and Louis for the stone fortress ahead.
> 
> How he knows the spy isn’t one of the people milling around the tents outside said fortress? Or inside, but not on the other end of double wooden doors which aren’t visible from the entrance?

…*shrug* [ O-O ] 

> He enters a large, dim, windowless room through the doors, and finds Louis somehow there before him.

Ubisoft has to account for players going to the viewpoint, etc., so they couldn’t make Louis _follow_ Shay. He isn’t patient, and he hates him. But would programming him to leave the ship just _before_ Shay have been too much to ask?

> “Take a look at this—” The spy tosses Louis a roll of parchment. Louis catches it expertly and turns, unfurling it on the crude, candle-lit table behind him. “I ‘borrowed’ these plans from a Royal Navy ship of the line.” Liam comes into view across from Louis, giving the spy his full attention.

How did _Liam_ get here before Shay too? 

> “They are like nothing I have ever seen,” he finishes.

Does anyone mind if I call this guy ‘Not-Robert de Sablé’? Every time he talks, all I can think about is how he sounds exactly like him.  

> “Good,” Louis says, as Shay crowds around the table with the rest and frowns over at the parchment in concentration. “We could use some more powerful weapons.”

“Good. We could use more powerful weapons.”

The parchment carries weapon designs, then. 

> He glances at Shay and Liam, then returns his attention to Not-Robert de Sablé. “Allow me to present our…associate, Shay Cormac.” As he moves from the parchment, Shay gets a better look.
> 
> “Gentlemen!” Not-Robert exclaims. “I have news: On this same ship, I spied the Manuscript you seek.

Awesome! Now Louis can shut up about it. 

> It was written in an exotic language I did not recognize, and was full of drawings:

It was written in an exotic language I did not recognize, and full of drawings: 

> plants and animals out of an opium dream.”
> 
> Louis frowns, eyes narrowing in confusion or disappointment. “Were there no charts, no…no…no maps?”

“ _A manuscript of ancient wisdom_  [...]  _Whoever controls the artifacts can access formidable Precursor sites_ ” I suppose he expected a map to said sites?

What do plant and animal drawings have to do with ‘ancient wisdom’? Is everyone involved positive it’s not a travel guide to the flora and fauna of various regions?  

> “No,” Not-Robert answers. “There may have been some kind of code, but neither I nor the Rosbifs could ken it.”
> 
> “Where is the Manuscript now?” Liam demands brusquely, arms folded.

Not-Robert is the Brotherhood’s only pair of eyes on the artifact. Way to piss him off. 

> Surprisingly, Not-Robert is pretty cool about being snapped at. “The man who brought it said a man named ‘Washington’ sent him,” he replies as if nothing happened.

“The man who brought it said ‘Washington’ sent him.”  

> Alert, Shay suddenly looks up at Not-Robert and moves away from the table, having lost interest in the parchment. “I know that name.” He glances around at the others, happy to be in the loop. “He’s an important Templar, isn’t he?”
> 
> “He is,” Liam confirms. “Lawrence Washington has great ambitions that Templars have helped fulfill. Shay, let’s return and find him.” With that, he makes his way toward the doors. “You, sir, have our thanks,” he tells Not-Robert.

“He is—Lawrence Washington has great ambitions the Templars have helped fulfill. You, sir, have our thanks.”  

> When Liam reaches him, Shay follows him out.
> 
> “So what’s our next heading?” Shay asks, once they’re aboard the _Morrigan_.
> 
> “Wherever this Lawrence Washington docks his arse,” Liam states.

Might’ve been slightly amusing without ‘Wherever Templar affairs lead us.’ 

> “Liam,” Shay says, as they sail away from the fort, “you’re finally getting into the spirit of things!”

“You’re finally getting into the spirit of things!”

What are you smoking? Liam has forever been getting on your case to take your job more seriously. You’re the one who’s usually, “Meh, sure.”  

> “He’s a Templar and a politician,” Liam replies. “What’s there to like?”

Had to strain yourselves to come up with that, didn’t you, writers? 

> “Good!” Shay says cheerily. “Hoist anchor!”

You. are. already. sailing. Clearly that anchor has been hoisted.

…Unless it’s possible to do so without that having been done, in which case I’ll shut up. 

> Moments later, he gripes, “Where does Chevalier get off ordering us around like that?

“Where does Chevalier get off ordering us around?”

Ordering them around like what? The last even semi-order type thing he said to Shay was, ‘Let us go on.’ And he hasn’t spoken a word to Liam. 

> We’re Assassins, same as him.”
> 
> “He has more experience, and he knows these waters better, Shay,” Liam explains. “That makes him in charge in these parts.”

“He knows these waters better. That makes him in charge of these parts.” 

> “Well”—Shay seems to have conceded that Liam’s logic has merit, but offers a counterpoint—“he commands me around back at the Homestead, too. Is he a truffle pig to know land better than me?”

“Well, he commands me at the Homestead, too. Is he a truffle pig to know land better?”

Actually, Shay, it doesn’t _matter_ who knows the area better. Louis could arrive at the Homestead never having set foot there, and promptly give you an order. Only Master Assassins are answerable to the Mentor alone. 

> “Show some respect, Shay,” Liam chides him lightly.

“Show some respect.”

Liam: 2; Shay: 0  

> “He ought to respect _me_ , Liam,” Shay retorts, indignant. “I stick my neck out as much as any of us!”

“He ought to respect _me_ ; I stick my neck out as much as any of us!”

But it doesn’t make him Louis’s equal. Or Liam’s.  

> “Yeah, _twice_ as often, it seems,” Liam agrees, amused.

Neither veteran is often in as much danger as Shay—they’re more prepared to handle whatever situation comes at them.  

> “But that’s just the thing—Chevalier…hangs back and _thinks_ before making a decision. His experience has earned him that right.”

“But that’s the thing—Chevalier…hangs back and _thinks_ before making a decision. Experience earned him that right.”

The right to be patient and weigh courses of action, as opposed to…rushing in hacking and slashing? That’s not a right—that’s called ‘having intelligence.’ 

> “I wonder how much more experience I’ll need,” Shay says bitterly, “before I can decide when to wake up or take action! I swear, Liam, sometimes I feel I was more grown up when we were children. We slept rough and scrounged for meat, but at least we decided where and when.”

“I wonder how much experience I’ll need before I can decide when to wake up or take action! I swear, I was more grown up when we were children. We slept rough and scrounged for meat, but we chose where and when.”

Viewing this from the perspective of someone who recently joined (that thing Shay acts like), and didn’t know what they signed up for but is getting the picture…He thought he’d spend the rest of his life foiling the Powers That Be, and instead he’s a pawn chafing at all his restrictions. This makes his eventual defection confusing. Life under the Templars will make the Assassins’ rules look like a couple of light suggestions…

Liam should remind him there’s good reason he isn’t permitted to act of his own accord yet: it’s easy to break the Creed when you don’t know what you’re doing. Scores of civilians would die and the Brotherhood would be exposed if novices chose missions and ways of accomplishing goals. They’d get themselves killed, too, rendering their training pointless. Veterans can limit bloodshed and chaos, and keep novices alive—thus, they have authority. 

> The rant ends, and the next time we catch up with them, they’re in the—
> 
> [River Valley, July 1752]
> 
> Elizabeth stands atop a hill overlooking the town of Two Bends, New York, on the deck of a nondescript wooden house. Behind her, Kesegowaase and Achilles sit at a table poring over what appears to be a map. Why here and not at Davenport Homestead?

Because cow.

(I should explain that inside joke; we’ve a ways until the end and I might be using it quite a lot. Whilst discussing _The Legend of Zelda_ : _Ocarina of Time_ , my friends and I wondered why a cow is stuck down a hole it should never have been able to fit through, near the top of an active volcano. Our conclusion? There’s no answer. ‘Why cow? *shrug* Because cow.’)

Anyway…they’re at an Assassin bureau.  

> “The Templars desire to understand the nature of these artifacts,” Elizabeth says to the others, as she turns and walks away from the deck fence toward them.

“Templars desire to understand the nature of these artifacts.”

Their nature? The Box translates the Manuscript, and they allow access to Precursor sites. What more is there to understand (besides _how_ they allow access, I suppose)? Maybe the Templars are wondering why the isu designed a translator.

I’m about to ask how it’s possible to watch this scene, given Shay is nowhere around, but then— 

> Shay and Liam approach the group, having docked minutes earlier.
> 
> “Their spies have called upon many doctors and other learned people in New York,” Elizabeth continues.

“Their spies called upon doctors and other learned people in New York.”

What could a doctor tell you about Pieces of Eden? 

> “They have also approached many tribes with questions,” Kesegowaase chimes in.

“And approached many tribes with questions.”

Question! *raises hand* Why are you all discussing this? 

> “Yeah, they’ve been showing that Manuscript far and wide,” Liam says, leaning back against the fence. “No one can read the strange writing or understand the images. We do have a _name_ , though.”

It took you a month or less to go from Davenport Homestead to Nova Scotia. So how are you reporting on Not-Robert’s intelligence _three_ months later; how long did all those detours take?

What got you lot started on this conversation? Elizabeth breaks total silence by randomly commenting about how the Order wants to understand the artifacts. And instead of asking where she’s going with this, Kesegowaase adds that they’ve been talking to natives about it. Doesn’t express irritation with this fact; ‘How should we know?’ Elizabeth _still_ doesn’t explain, just leaves it hanging, because all that served only to give Shay and Liam (who arrived as Elizabeth started talking) a convenient opportunity to bring up— 

> “We learned,” Shay reports importantly, “that Lawrence Washington sent out the Manuscript.”

Here’s how you fix this. Liam breaks the silence by announcing: “Templars have shown the Manuscript far and wide. No one can read the writing or understand the images. They’ve got nothing. But we have a name.” Cue Shay. Done. 

> “Lawrence Washington,” Achilles states, addressing Shay as he stands from his chair. “Businessman, Virginian politician, and high-ranking Templar.”

**Shay** : *looks around the table* “Exactly how stupid am I?” 

> “Ah yes,” Elizabeth replies, “I recently heard he was back from the West Indies. One of my men saw his majordomo pick up a strange package.”

“Ah yes, he’s back from the West Indies. One of my men saw his majordomo pick up a strange package.”

You command your own Assassin team? How? Why?

What was strange about the package?

And a majordomo is…? “The chief steward of a large household.” *gives dictionary a cookie; glares at _Rogue_ * 

> “Then that package will be delivered to him promptly,” Achilles says.

“Then it will be delivered to him promptly.” 

> “Shay”—he speaks directly to him—“figure out what it is and find Washington. And when you do…learn all you can.”

“Figure out what it is and find Lawrence. And when you do…learn all you can.”

Achilles giving orders. [ :D ] 

> Liam walks away. “I’ll prepare the _Morrigan_.”
> 
> Shay follows him. ‘Locate the Shipment’ is his next objective.
> 
> “Well, if we’ve any luck,” Liam begins

NO! NO! DON’T! NO! COME ON! _WHY_? 

> once they’re aboard, “that ship will lead us right to him.”
> 
> “I make my own luck, Liam,”

*hangs head* 

> Shay replies. “And Washington is running out of his.”

“And Lawrence is running out of his.”

Elizabeth’s Assassin(?) saw Lawrence’s steward retrieve a package recently enough to follow his ship? _And_ Shay and Liam report in time?  

> They find the ship before they’ve opened their sails; were it not for thick fog off the coast, they’d still be able to see Two Bends…and the ship would be able to see them.

How convenient. 

> ‘Tail the Shipment.’
> 
> “There she is! All right, men, time to be quiet!”
> 
> “Lawrence Washington is a powerful businessman, a slave owner, and a leading Templar,” Liam tells Shay softly.

“Lawrence Washington is a slave owner.

Literally only _one_ of those things is new information.  

> “We lost track of him about a year ago. I recently learned he was in Barbados, but I haven’t been able to confirm that. Now…”

“We lost track of him about a year ago. Recently I learned he might’ve been in Barbados, but haven’t had an opportunity to confirm that. Now…”

*waits for Liam to have a point*  

> “Now you think he had something to do with the theft of the artifacts, don’t you?” Shay surmises.

“You think he had something to do with the theft.”

Ah. That doesn’t explain ‘slave owner,’ though. Or why Liam couldn’t say this on the way to the dock. 

> “I wouldn’t put it past him,” Liam replies evenly. “Haiti’s a short voyage from Barbados, and his return to the Colonies certainly coincides with the arrival of the artifacts. We cannot let the Templars get control of these colonies.

“I wouldn’t put it past him. Haiti’s a short voyage from Barbados, and his return to the Colonies certainly coincides with the arrival of the artifacts.”

Way to go off-topic…mostly. Those artifacts won’t let the Templars control anything. 

> Whatever happens, Lawrence Washington must not survive.”

He’s a Templar. They’re Assassins. They’re looking for him. 

i.e. He’s going down.  

> “I’ll make sure he doesn’t,” Shay vows.
> 
> Lawrence’s hangout is virtually across the street from where they started. They encounter a blockade at the port.
> 
> “This won’t do,” Liam says. “Shay, you must follow that ship on land.”

“This won’t do. You’ll have to follow that ship on land.”

> “I’ll do that,” Shay replies, unperturbed. “Bring the _Morrigan_ around another way.”

“Bring the _Morrigan_ around another way.” 

> “Aye, Cap’n. Track that package, and find Washington.”

You just…told him…to track it. Five seconds ago. It’s a goddamn record! These people have taken one too many hard falls.  

> Shay drops anchor at a small beach.
> 
> “Some blockade,” he snorts.
> 
> “And remember what I said, Shay,” Liam tells him. “Washington must die.”

WE ALL REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID, LIAM.

 **Shay** : *rolls eyes* “I’m not out buying groceries—I won’t _forget_ to kill him!”  

> Shay reaches the town of Mount Vernon, a good four-five hundred feet (or more) from where he left the Morrigan, then finally responds: “Aye.”

He can’t hear you.  

> He climbs aboard the steward’s ship. The package—a thin box—is atop crates, watched by so few guards you can count them on one hand. (Two on the dock, three on the ship.)

Okay, one is a bomb-throwing ax-wielder, so he counts for…like…five guards. 

> He kills them, then opens it.
> 
> “Now, what’s this?” he mutters. “A rifle?”

“Now, what’s this?”

 **Shay** : _Some strange package_. 

> He picks up the weapon, loading it with ammunition also found inside the box.
> 
> A sixth guard shows up out of nowhere. “You there!”
> 
> He fires—the ammunition is poisoned darts.

How…horribly disappointing. Despite rifles existing then (however inaccurate—and this was meant for a Templar, so it’d be as accurate as possible or the maker would live to regret it…or…you know… _not_ live to regret it), this thing can’t fire rounds. I wanted to snipe Assassins—*sigh* The Brotherhood just put me at the top of their hit list. brb hiding. 

> “Stay—” the guard manages. Shay watches, nonplussed, as he staggers forward before collapsing on the deck. “Where…you are…”
> 
> Once he’s knocked out, Shay stares down at the rifle. “How can that be? It makes no sound…” His tone is almost one of horror.

But come on, Shay, you’re not _that_ thick—even if you’ve never seen nor heard of a dart gun, you _have_ to realize it’s silent because it isn’t loaded with anything explosive. 

> He’s over it. “Thanks for the present, Master Washington.”
> 
> He slings the air rifle onto his back (likely intending to deliver it to Achilles), then heads up a hill to the Washingtons’ mansion, where Lawrence is hosting a garden party complete with fireworks. He sneaks across the property and finds the target—a fairly tall, thin man in his 40’s-50’s, with shoulder-length gray hair drawn into a ponytail—standing hunched, using a column for support. Before him stands a taller, red-haired man in his early-to-mid twenties, clad in British military uniform.
> 
> “Brother,” the young man says, shaking his head in worry, “are you sure you shouldn’t be in bed?”
> 
> Lawrence almost falls backward against the column as he moves away from it, toward a round dining table covered by an elegantly patterned olive-green cloth. “I am _fine_ , George,” he insists, raising a hand to still George’s objections. He leans on the table.

Whaaat?! George Washington is Ratonhnhaké:ton’s (somewhat) ally, the person who inspired Patriot rebels to free America from British tyranny, and its first leader…but his older brother was a Templar? I legitimately did not see this coming. Great twist! 

> George turns his head to look at three similarly finely-dressed men—

presumably Templars— 

> striding across the grass toward them. Lawrence cringes in pain, then tries to project dignity whilst still leaning.
> 
> He looks at George again. “Be a good host for my sake,” he tells him. “Go to the wine cellar and get something special for our guests.”
> 
> “I will,” George says promptly. He nods politely to each guest in turn—“Gentlemen”—then departs the scene, and Lawrence takes a seat and has a violent coughing fit. The guests gather round, waiting; Lawrence looks up at one of them.
> 
> “My brother,” he says in a rough, scratchy voice, “is a bright spot in a troubled land. If I may make one request before I depart this life, please leave him in _peace_ ; he should have nothing to do with the troubles of the Templar cause.”

It’s very sweet and touching: The way Lawrence tries to hide the worst of his illness in order to prevent George from worrying further, as well as his desire for him to live a normal life unaware of the war. He trusts these people and believes the Templars are just, but he’s protecting George from them all the same. And from the Assassins, too, of course.

(An aside: Upon viewing TURN’s ‘Valley Forge’ episode [S2E7], I was delighted to hear George talk at length about how much he loved his elder half-brother. How Lawrence was a brilliant leader who always had everything together, making him feel inferior to the point of self-loathing at times. How they went to Barbados to try and cure Lawrence’s illness; “Be mindful of time, my brother. It can easily run out.” Then George had that…erhem [ >-> ]…hallucination, and Lawrence displayed pride in him….I couldn’t help being amazed that it all fit with _Rogue_. And it makes me enjoy this section of the game so much more.) 

> “We all respect that sentiment, sir,” another Templar says sympathetically.

“We respect that sentiment, sir.” 

> The first nods in agreement.
> 
> Lawrence is relieved. “You have my thanks, gentlemen.” He gets to business, turning to face the first Templar with some difficulty. “Master Smith. Are you ready to leave on your voyage?”
> 
> “Aye, sir,” the Templar says dutifully. “I shall return with answers.”
> 
> “Master Wardrop—” (Lawrence addresses Templar #3.) “Are you likewise engaged with the Manuscript?”

“Master Wardrop, are you likewise engaged?”

After the end credits roll, I never want to hear the word ‘manuscript’ again. 

> “Yes, sir,” ‘Wardrop’ confirms. “We will soon know its meaning.”

“Yes, sir.”  

> “Then I bid you take your leave,” Lawrence says.

They seem to care for him a great deal. Feel it’s a privilege to work under him, and are sad to see him in this state. Pity that Shay won’t get to know Lawrence better. 

> ‘Wardrop’ and the other Templars walk away, one glancing back at him, and Lawrence doubles over coughing so hard he can scarcely breathe.
> 
> _Washington can barely stand on his own two feet_ , Shay observes pityingly.

_Lawrence can barely stand_.

This is meant to be his thoughts, I believe? It sounds like he’s talking to himself, and I don’t know why they couldn’t put the words in italics. So what if you miss it? You won’t be lost story-wise. (More than you already are.) 

> _You better be right about him_ , _Liam_ , _because I’m about to murder a dying man_. 

> “You are too late, Assassin,” Lawrence taunts when Shay delivers a fatal blow.
> 
> “It’s never too late to ruin Templar plans, Master Washington.” Shay glares.

“It’s never too late to ruin Templar plans.”  

> “But my plans are already in motion,” Lawrence says. “Even leading you here

“But they’re already in motion. Leading you here

He didn’t know Shay existed. Maybe he means that he led him inadvertently. 

> has given my allies time to escape.” He closes his eyes and lays down, relaxing. “Thank you, for making my end a quick one.”

Why didn’t Lawrence seek out the Assassins to end his pain? Did he think they might torture him instead? Or did he just not want to give them the satisfaction? Or if finding them was that easy, the Templars would’ve attacked a long time ago? I dunno’, take your pick. 

> “And thank _you_ ,” Shay replies, after Lawrence has passed, “for revealing your master plan, you scheming snake.”

All he heard were orders to investigate the Manuscript (which they’ve done for a while); that ‘Wardrop’ has taken possession _of_ said Manuscript (so ‘Smith’ is looking for answers about the Box); and that the Templars who Lawrence spoke to are on their way out of Mount Vernon. That’s as specific as their ‘plans’ got. 

> Shay realizes the _Morrigan_ is being fired upon

(I guess Liam just managed to find a way around the blockade),  

> and races toward where it’s anchored at the bottom of a nearby cliff.
> 
> “Is that a ship mortar?!” he exclaims, chagrined, to no one in particular as he does so. “That’s not sporting!”

LOL. 

Why Liam is forcing everyone aboard to stay put just so Shay won’t be stranded is beyond me. Crewmen are dying because of him.  

> He steers it to safety, reporting once they’re out of range, “Lawrence Washington is dead.”
> 
> “You look disappointed,” Liam notes.

“You sound disappointed.”  

> “The sickly way that man looked, he would have been dead in a month anyway,” Shay says unhappily. “And two other Templars got away. They’re looking into the Manuscript and Box.”

“The sickly way that man looked, he would have been dead in a month anyhow. And three Templars got away.” 

> “Did they have the artifacts?” Liam asks keenly.
> 
> “I don’t know…” Shay replies, indifferent. “Perhaps? I can’t be sure.”

They never actually _said_ they had them, so he’s justified. 

> “Then you did what was right by the Brotherhood,” says Liam.

“Then you did right by the Brotherhood.”

Good on him for not pestering Shay like, ‘What do you mean? This is kind of important!’ Shay needs to know he did the right thing. Taking a life—especially that of someone who can’t fight back—is rarely easy. He needs time to recover and come to terms. 

> “We can find the objects later.”

“We’ll find the objects later.”

> A few moments pass.
> 
> “Cheer up, Shay,” Liam encourages him. “It’s a rare day we can sow such chaos among the Templars.”

Shay turning will be supremely painful. He has a good thing going. [ ;~; ] …By-and-large. 

> “Perhaps. But to hear Washington speak,” Shay replies, yet subdued, “it didn’t sound like they’d be too put out by the loss.”

“To hear Lawrence speak, they won’t be too put out by his loss.”  

> “Well, that’s what he’d want you to think.”

Right you are, Liam.


	6. Predictably, Samuel Dies

> The next scene begins with Shay and Liam sailing near a landmass. 
> 
> “The memory appears to be fragmented,” comes Juhani’s voiceover. “How much time has passed?”

“The memory appears fragmented. How much time has passed?” 

> [North Atlantic, May 1754]
> 
> “A few months, I think,” Violet answers.

*snorts in amusement* Try twenty-two. 

Mm, I’ve got a question. Not strictly _Rogue_ -related, but…I’m guessing these locations and timestamps are for the player’s benefit and Animus users can’t actually see them; how does that work?

> “That virus is cutting off our access to complete memories. They’re readable, but messy.”

“That virus is cutting off access to complete memories. They’re readable, but messy.”

Translation: We wanted a large timeskip, and here’s what the Excuse Generator spat out. 

> “The Seven Years’ War will soon break out in the colonies,” Juhani tells her. “Focus on Assassin interference.”

Whose memories are you viewing? Shay’s. If Shay plays a role in the Seven Years’ War, can you focus on his interference? Yes you can. What if he doesn’t? No you cannot. And that means what?

Exactly. You wasted your breath. Gold star! 

> “We’ll do our best,” Violet says. “Won’t we, numbskull?”

That’s a catchphrase too. ‘Pisspot,’ ‘numbskull,’ _Rogue_ ,  _Unity_ …What was Ubisoft’s fascination with insults in 2014? 

> “It’s so grim about the Homestead,” Liam says, “now that Miss Abigail and little Connor have passed.”

Fuck you, game. Just…fuck you. I was so looking forward to Achilles interacting with his family before their untimely demises; watching firsthand as it crushed him and set him on the road to becoming the bitter, demoralized person we knew in _Assassin’s Creed III_. And just like that, they’re dead. Without one tiny glimpse.

OF ALL THE CHEAP, HALF-ASSED SEND-OFFS—! 

IT’S NOT EVEN A SEND-OFF, BECAUSE THEY WEREN’T _THERE_ TO BEGIN WITH.  

> “Aye,” Shay replies. “I’ve seen Achilles crying.”

Good for you. I haven’t.  

> “Why shouldn’t he?” Liam asks.

He didn’t say he shouldn’t. He agreed that it’s sad.  

> “It’s just that…he doesn’t look sad,” Shay says. “He looks _furious_. It’s unsettling.”

“It’s just that…he looks _furious_. Not sad. It’s unsettling.”

Is he angry that they died without causing pain, but he, a murderer, was spared? That despite his status as Master Assassin and Mentor—titles earned helping countless strangers—he was powerless to help his family? Tune in next week, when we’ll feature exclusive interviews with denizens of an alternate universe where these questions were answered!

> “He’s struggling with the loss,” says Liam. “We all are.”
> 
> “I know. But it’s been _months_ , and we’ve done little but search for this blasted Manuscript and Box!”

Years, Shay. You mean ‘years.’

*tries to connect thoughts*

(1.) Achilles is struggling with the loss of his family—we’re all struggling with it.

But

(2.) All we’ve done is search for the Manuscript and Box for two years.

Mmhmm…Those aren’t _remotely_ related. Perhaps they could be if Shay had worded things better: Achilles might still be in mourning, but can’t he assign them something else—anything else?!

> “Le Chasseur has a lead on the Box,” Liam tells Shay.

**Shay** : *dully* “You’re just now informing me. Why am I surprised?” 

> “We’re to meet him and Chevalier at St. John’s.”

**Shay** : *in same apathetic tone* “Oh. So that’s why we’re out here.”

If Shay doesn’t already know their destination, how did they end up so close to it?

 **Liam** : “It’s that way.” *point*

 **Shay** : [Next town] “Should we stop now?”

 **Liam** : *arms crossed, staring ahead* “Keep going.”

 **Shay** : [Town after that] “Now?”

 **Liam** : “Keeeep going.”

 **Shay** : *crashes into landmass*

 **Liam** : “Turn.”

> “Chevalier, too?” Shay sighs, then jokes: “No hope of cheering _me_ up, then.”

Hahaha!

…

I just realized. This is May 1754.

SHUT UP WITH YOUR “NO, DUH’s” AND “RETARD’s,” AND LET ME FINISH.

Thank you kindly. As I was saying:

The year on Abigail and Connor’s headstones in _Assassin’s Creed III_ is 1755. They couldn’t be bothered to do **_basic research_** , i.e. **_play their own goddamn game_**?! This is _BEYOND_ lazy! 

> A brief silence. Shay asks ominously—“When Achilles said whoever had the artifacts could access sites of ‘great power’…what did he mean?”

“When Achilles said whoever has the artifacts can access Precursor sites…what did he mean?”

It took him _TWO YEARS_ to ask this. Yes, the player needs to hear their conversation, but all the practicality in the world doesn’t change the fact that waiting this long makes little-to-no sense.  

> “I’m not sure I understand it myself, Shay,” Liam replies.

“I’m not sure I understand, myself.” 

> “I had a long talk with Adéwalé about that. He believes the Box can be activated to…” Liam considers how to put it. “Well—project words. Or images.”

This belief is based upon…what? 

> Shay’s glad to have something familiar to compare it to. “Like a magic lantern?”
> 
> “What do you mean?” asks Liam.
> 
> “You know the magic lantern shows Father Connolly put on in the church basement? The box had a candle in it, I think. He put these little glass plates in front. Then we’d see the images projected on the wall, like…cathedrals in Rome, bright and near as big as life!”

“Like a magic lantern? You know the shows Father Connolly put on in the church basement? The box had a candle in it, I think. He put little glass plates in front. Then we’d see images projected on the wall, like…Roman cathedrals, bright and near as big as life!” 

> “Ah, yeah,” Liam recalls. “I suppose it is. Except…that it interprets the strange language of the Manuscript, too.

“Ah, I suppose it is. Except…that it interprets the Manuscript, too. 

> If the plate were of a banner in Latin, we’d see it in English.”

If the plate were of a Latin banner, we’d see it in English.” 

> “How is that possible?” Shay wonders, intrigued. 

“How?” 

> “Who knows?” Liam says. “I fear we might never truly understand how any of the Pieces of Eden work.”

“Who knows?”

> When they near a lighthouse, he announces, “We’re almost there, Captain! Le Chasseur will be expecting us.”

*considers facepalming* *slaps Liam instead*  

> “And Chevalier,” Shay groans.

Still funny. But stop.  

> “Ah,” Liam says, “it’s a small price to pay for a lead on the Precursor Box.”
> 
> Liam hangs back once more, and Shay approaches Louis where he’s sitting on a crate on a wooden landing at the lighthouse’s base, watching black smoke rise from _Le Gerfaut_.

Which _was_ visible before docking. 

> “Chevalier,” Shay asks, gesturing toward it, “what happened to your vessel?”

“What happened to your vessel?” 

> “I got myself into a bit of a scrape. Sent three ships in all hands to their watery graves,” Louis crows. Then finishes bitterly, “ _Le Gerfaut_ nearly followed them down.” He tosses his empty liquor bottle roughly aside onto the landing.
> 
> Shay grins at Not-Robert, who’s leaning against the lighthouse. “I trust your fate has been better, Le Chasseur.”

**Not** - **Robert** : “Still not my name.”

“I trust your fate has been better.”  

> “Indeed,” Not-Robert says. “My sources informed me that Samuel Smith has searched far and wide,

“ _Yeah_ , _they’ve been showing that Manuscript far and wide_ ,” _Liam says_ ,  

> looking for answers on how to make that strange Box work. He just returned from Europe.”

“Indeed. My sources informed me that Samuel Smith has returned from Europe.” 

> “Where is he now?” Shay asks curiously.

“Where is he?” 

> Not-Robert tosses Louis another bottle.
> 
> “Refitting his schooner.” He retrieves a map from his coat pocket and shows Shay. “If you hurry, you can catch him…there.”

Of course he can. Why not?

Oh, right—probably because _this is Planet Earth and nobody’s life is always that easy_! 

> “Oh,” he adds, “remember those blueprints?

The weapon designs. 

> Well, I had an engineer build that marvelous weapon for your ship.

**Louis** : *spins around and glares murderously at Not-Robert* “Say _wut_?” [ O-O ]

Not-Robert barely knows Shay. Why would he favor him over Louis in this?

*mutters* Player Character Gary Stu bullcrap... 

> Master Puckle’s gun fires more shots than an artillery brigade, and twice as fast.”
> 
> “Many thanks!” says Shay to Not-Robert.
> 
> Not-Robert looks over at Louis. “Anything for my hooded friends.”

**Louis** : [ O-O ] *blows smoke out of nostrils*  

> Liam and crew fit guns onto the _Morrigan_.
> 
> Shay’s next objective is to ‘Locate the _Equitas_ ’—Samuel’s ship.

*starts timer*  

> As they leave St. John’s, Shay addresses Louis, wondering why he’s on the upper deck. 
> 
> “Captain?”
> 
> “I will join you on this voyage,” Louis says cheerily.

Whatever you do, Shay, stick with Liam. Else you’re liable to be thrown overboard.

I suppose he’s coming for something to do while _Le Gerfaut_ is repaired. 

> “Then shall we, gentlemen?”
> 
> “You are in a jovial mood, Shay,” Louis remarks, still—for all appearances—in one himself.

He’s scaring me. 

> “Why shouldn’t I be?” Shay says. “I have a new weapon, and will soon have the chance to use it.

“I have a new weapon, and soon—the chance to use it.

Men.  

> Besides, Templars are usually well guarded, and I’m sure that Smith fellow is no exception.”

Templars are usually well guarded, and I’m sure Samuel is no exception.”

 **Shay** : “Judging from last time, we’re due to trip over him any millisecond…” *leaves wheel and looks over the side of the _Morrigan_ , verifying they haven’t accidentally sunk him*  

> “I also took the liberty of ordering some improvements,” Liam tells Shay.

“I took the liberty of ordering additional improvements.”

 **Shay** : *checks pockets* 

> “The _Morrigan_ now has a ram that can cut through ice itself.”

“A ram strong enough to cut through ice.”

Liam outfitted the _Morrigan_ with an ice ram less than twenty-four hours before one came in handy.  

> “I have heard of such technology,” Louis says, “but never witnessed its operation.”
> 
> “What about Smith, then?” Liam asks. “Is he close by?”

“Is he close?”  

> “Aye,” Shay responds. “He sails these very waters. And he may have the Precursor Box.”

“Aye. He sails these waters.”  

> “Then let’s find him!”

**Shay** : *shrugs* “Okay.” *spins ship around* 

> They locate the _Equitas_.

*stops timer* Almost a full minute. Huh. 

> ‘Catch Samuel Smith’
> 
> “There he is!”

Liam O’Brien: Eighteenth-century GPS and lock-on targeting system rolled into one.  

> “Most fortunate timing!” Louis exclaims. “Lady Luck never ceases to smile on you.”

*cringes and braces self, looking away*

*silence*

O-x *dares to look at Shay*

 **Shay** : *steers _Morrigan_ *

He must be sick. 

> “He’s seen us!” Shay yells. “Give chase!”

You’re at the wheel. Are you…telling him to chase you?  

> “But hold your fire!” Louis orders.

“Hold your fire!  

> “We must not damage the Box or risk losing it to the sea.

If the Assassins lose it to the sea, so do the Templars. No amount of wealth and influence can float it to the surface.  

> Can’t this _bucket_ go any faster?!”

I dislike the _Morrigan_ so much, I’m not even going to resent you for that. 

> “At least my ship is still _sea_ - _worthy_ , Chevalier,” Shay counters.

“At least it’s _sea_ - _worthy_!”

Oh snap!  

> “Our target’s a smart man,” Liam says, “but he’s out of his element here.”

“Our target’s smart, but out of his element.”

In what way? 

> “Samuel Smith is the Templars’ treasurer,” Louis agrees, baffled. “What he’s doing in these waters is beyond me.”

“What the Templars’ treasurer is doing in these waters is beyond me.”

Treasurers are hydrophobic. You learn something new every day.  

> “Maybe he came here to meet someone,” Shay suggests.

“Maybe he came to meet someone. 

> Or ran into your pirates. He’s refitting his ship, so something must have something happened.”

Or ran into your pirates. He refitted his ship—something happened.”

Louis is a pirate Assassin—which is why Shay fixated on pirates when he talked about allies. (‘Our allies’—the Assassins’—not ‘my allies,’ but close enough.) Nice of Ubisoft to tell us earlier. 

> “If one of my allies attacked him,” Louis says, “I would have known about it.”

“If an ally of mine attacked him, I would know.”

News travels fast out on the ocean? 

> Liam is chomping at the bit. “Well, he’s back from a long voyage. Now’s our chance to get him.”

I’ll assume Liam had ways of knowing where Samuel’s been.  

> “Smith controls most of the Templars’ wealth, doesn’t he?” Louis says.

“He controls most of the Templars’ wealth.

As treasurer, I would expect so. 

> “With him out of the way…”
> 
> “Washington entrusted the Precursor Box to him,” Shay says.

DOES THE EXPOSITION _NEVER END_!  

> “He probably still has it.” 

Didn’t you say, after killing Lawrence, that you don’t know whether he got ahold of it? 

> “Shay’s right,” says Liam. “The Box comes first.”
> 
> “So we can’t sink him,” Shay chimes in.

**Louis** : “His memory is like an Etch-a-Sketch. Where does it all go…?”

 **Liam** : *throws hands in the air, shaking his head*  

> “We’ll have to board his ship, or force him to beach.”
> 
> “Look, Captain,” Liam says, as the _Equitas_ passes under an ice arch, through a sheet floating on the water. “He’s cutting through the ice.”

*ponders whether ‘Captain’ is becoming more annoying than ‘Shay’*  

> “It seems you are not the only one equipped with such a ram, Shay,” Louis says.

Not yet.

“It seems you are not the only one equipped with such a ram.” 

> “Let us hope ours fares just as well,” Shay replies.

“Hope ours fares as well.”  

> It does.
> 
> “It worked!” Liam says. “The way is clear.”
> 
> “Once more, your fortune holds,” Louis tells Shay, annoyed. “But do not waste time congratulating yourself—Smith is getting away!”

“Your fortune holds. But don’t waste time in self-congratulation!” 

> Several ships that were waiting on the other side of the arch fire upon them.
> 
> “It’s an ambush!” shouts Liam.

Samuel was sure enough the Assassins would find him that he planted this in advance? O…kay… 

> They sink the ships.
> 
> “There’s Smith!” Liam says. “He’s moving again!”

“Samuel’s moving again!”  

> “No doubt he hoped to be a spectator to your demise,” Louis tells Shay.

“No doubt he hoped to be a spectator to our demise.” 

> “I’m glad to disappoint him,” Shay replies. “And he’s still within reach.”

“I’m glad to disappoint. And that he’s still within reach.” 

> As they narrow in on the _Equitas_ , Samuel’s crew throws barrels of oil overboard and ignites them, lighting the water in Shay’s path ablaze.
> 
> “What wickedness is _this_?” Liam demands, glaring.
> 
> “Another Templar tactic,” answers Louis. “They can cover whole stretches of ocean with their flames.”

Like they’re doing now? Which Liam can see with his own two very-much-unblinded eyes? 

> “Careful, Shay!” Liam makes Navi jealous. “We could be burnt to cinders!”

“Careful; we could be burnt to cinders!” 

> “It’s nothing more than a last desperate throw of the dice,” Shay says derisively. “He knows we have him.”

I’m afraid he does, Sam, there’s no getting around that truth. Unlike the oil spills, which have large gaps. 

> They come to a makeshift military-esque camp. 
> 
> ‘Assassinate Smith’

‘Assassinate Samuel Smith’  

> “And now we know where he was headed,” Liam says.

**Louis** : *sarcastically* “Wait, we do?”

 **Shay** : “Where?” [ o: ] 

> “The bastard has an encampment here.”

Why, though? What’s here?

And why does Shay have to kill major targets? He’s in the company of two perfectly good Assassins who are far less likely to screw up. (In theory…*eyes Louis*) The least they can do is clear his path of guards. Instead, they kick back and wait. They’ve already proven themselves while he needs experience, but if this was real life and combat more difficult because of it, he could die thanks to their negligence. 

> “Follow him on land!” Louis orders.

Maybe he doesn’t say much to Liam because he can’t tell him what to do.

“Follow on land!”  

> “Do not even _think_ of firing the ship’s weapons near that precious Box!”

“Do not _think_ of firing the ship’s weapons near that precious Box!”

*‘accidentally’ sinks _Equitas_ * Oh no, how awful, now no one will be able to find the Precursor sites! I’m so ashamed, and…stuff…  

> “I’ll take care of this,” Shay assures him, disembarking.
> 
> They’re somewhere called ‘Terra Nova.’

New World.

Subtle, Sam. 

> He sneaks across barren tree limbs, getting within a few dozen yards of Samuel—who then notices him 

and seriously considers killing all the guards himself.  

> “This will be your end, Assassin!”

Says the lobotomy patient not moving out of air-assassination range. There’s a cave right next to you—flee into it! Pretend you care what happens to the artifact if not yourself.  

> “You _will_ regret this! Think about what you’re doing, Assassin,” Samuel pleads. “Your Brotherhood is using you.”

“Think about what you’re doing, Assassin! Your Brotherhood is using you….You _will_ regret this!”  

> Predictably, Samuel dies. He tries to crawl away after Shay strikes, gravely injured,

See what I did there? 

> clutching the Box in one hand.

If you’re an Assassin, you chase Templars. It’s what you do. If you’re a Templar being chased by Assassins, you hide your Pieces of Eden so well even _you_ forget where they are for a while. It’s what you do.  

> Shay is one step behind, following at his leisure.

Meanwhile, all the guards enjoy the show. 

> “This cannot be…”
> 
> Shay kicks Samuel; the Box flies out of his hands, clattering to the ground.

Isu—inventors of the Apples, Staffs, and Swords of Eden, etc., which are some weird kind of glowy metal—built that thing, prior to the last ice age. And it’s functional. And made of wood?

> Futilely, he reaches for it, but Shay casually picks it up.
> 
> “ _No_!” Samuel cries in terror. “Do you even know what that is?!” he hisses.

“ _No_! Do you know what that is?!” 

> Shay turns the Box over, inspecting it. “An ancient artifact. A treasure from Those Who Came Before.”

“An artifact from Those Who Came Before.”

 **Shay** : “Or as we call it on the firing range, ‘a target.’”

He’s desensitized to this, but air rifles give him nightmares. Speaking of which…Why, yes, it _is_ still strapped to his back after all this time, and no we _don’t_ know why Lawrence wanted it or if Shay brought it to Achilles’ attention, therefore _naturally_ the package was an excuse for him to obtain a new weapon, and _without question_ you’re kidding yourself if you think otherwise! 

> “Yes,” Samuel says. “It matters not! Some of the greatest scientific minds of all Europe could not…make it work.”

“It matters not! The greatest scientific minds of all Europe couldn’t…make it work.” 

> Shay ignores him as he lays there. “Now all I need,” he says to himself, “is the Manuscript, and all should be revealed.”
> 
> He turns and walks away, Samuel motionless.
> 
> “I got the Precursor Box,” Shay informs Liam when he sees him again, unable to care less. “Smith’s dead.”

“I got the Box. He’s dead.”  

> “Well done, Shay,” Liam replies sincerely.

“Well done.”  

> Shay ignores the kudos. “Where’s Chevalier?”
> 
> “Returning to _Le Gerfaut_.

On the _Equitas_ , I presume.  

> We’ll have to celebrate without him, I’m afraid.”
> 
> “I don’t much feel like celebrating, Liam,” Shay snaps irritably.

“I don’t much feel like celebrating!  

> “I know we have to get these artifacts back, but…at what cost?

I know we need these artifacts, but... 

> Samuel Smith…he could barely hold his sword straight. Killing him was…”

Samuel couldn’t hold his sword straight. Killing him was…” 

> “Necessary,” Liam finishes.
> 
> “But—” Shay protests.
> 
> “But nothing!” Liam says, stern. “Smith was a dangerous man, a Templar.

“But nothing! He was dangerous, a Templar.  

> And what’s worse, he had the Precursor Box. You should be proud of yourself, Shay.”

You should be proud of yourself.”  

> “Perhaps.” Shay is unconvinced.
> 
> “We should head for Albany now,” Liam recommends.

“Head for Albany.”  

> “James Wardrop, the fellow Lawrence Washington gave the Manuscript to, will be there.

“James Wardrop—the fellow Lawrence Washington entrusted the Manuscript to—will be there.  

> Kesegowaase reported that James Wardrop rooted out many tribes from their ancestral lands. We have _proof_ that he’s behind countless massacres. He’s one of the most devious and ruthless men in the colonies. He uses the letter of the law to serve his purposes, and when the law does not bend to _him_ , he gets lawmakers to bend it _for_ him. Mark my words, Shay. James Wardrop is a bureaucrat, and doesn’t care how his actions affect others.”

According to Kesegowaase, James rooted out many tribes from their ancestral lands. We have _proof_ that he’s behind massacres. He’s one of the most devious, ruthless men in the colonies—a bureaucrat who uses the letter of the law to serve his purposes; when it does not bend to _him_ , he gets lawmakers to bend it _for_ him. Mark my words—he doesn’t care how his actions affect others.”

Liam suspects Shay is losing faith in the Assassin cause (though probably not that he’d consider defection), and is doing his best to convince him they’re killing monsters. Killing killers. Whether said killers can properly wield a sword, they’re lethal.

Which begs the question: If James is a high-priority target like Samuel…why didn’t the other Colonial Assassins (like Elizabeth, for example) neutralize him while Liam, Louis, and Shay were stalking the latter? They aren’t the only Assassins on the Homestead! If you know where he is, _SIC HIM_.


	7. James Wardrop Has the Manuscript, You Inconceivably Useless Airhead

> [Albany, July 1754]

After screwing off doing who-knows-what (because it’s Tuesday),  

> Shay finds Liam with Elizabeth somewhere in town. He taps Elizabeth’s shoulder to get her attention; she turns, startled, then sighs—it’s just him.
> 
> “You’re here.”

Yes he is. Grass is green, btw. jsjsjs.  

> She fills him in. “Congress is still in session. George Washington and his militia have fired on French troops under Jumonville.

“Congress is still in session—George Washington’s militia fired on French troops under Jumonville; 

> The French are calling it an act of war.”

France calls it an act of war.” 

> “ _George_ Washington?” Shay repeats, crossing his arms and smirking at her. “You mean Lawrence’s younger brother?”

“ _George_ Washington—Lawrence’s younger brother?”

For all his moaning that Lawrence and Samuel didn’t deserve what they got, he seems confident, energized, and raring to kill somebody… 

> “Yeah,” Liam answers stonily, “it’s the same.”

“The same.”  

> “Speaking of Lawrence Washington,” he then adds: “Since you eliminated him, James Wardrop has moved up in ranks. All the Templars’ resources are at _his_ disposal now.”

“Speaking of Lawrence—since you eliminated him, James Wardrop moved up in rank. All the Templars’ resources are at _his_ disposal now…” 

> “What about the Manuscript?” asks Shay. 
> 
> “My sources in New York confirm that Wardrop has it,” Elizabeth replies.

“My New York sources confirm he has it. 

> “I also learned that he _is_ here—at the Congress, under heavy guard.”

And that he’s at Congress, under heavy guard.” 

> “Shay.” —Shay’s gaze flicks to Liam when he calls his name— “Find Wardrop. Get that Manuscript.”

“Shay. Find him.”

**Liam** : “I think we should run through the schedule one more time. Elizabeth, you will be—?”

**Elizabeth** : “Waiting right here, doing absolutely nothing of any use.”

**Liam** : “Good, good.”

**Elizabeth** : “How about yourself?”

**Liam** : “I’ll be on the _Morrigan_ , standing at the wheel but not sailing anywhere.”

**Elizabeth** : “Don’t you love being able to do that?”

**Liam** : “It’s fantastic! This is exactly why I joined the Brotherhood.” *turns to Shay* “And _you_?”

**Shay** : *emotionlessly* “I’ll be at Congress, looking for Pieces of Eden and killing Templars.”

**Liam** : “Too right, you will.” 

> Liam turns and walks away.
> 
> Elizabeth glances around, then moves closer to Shay. “This place is thick with Templar troops. Liam and I will make sure he doesn’t escape,” she promises.

She explained why they won’t help him! Except they will! Sort of!

Good work, Ubisoft, I am impressed. 

> She follows Liam to wherever he’s going.
> 
> Shay pulls up his hood, entering Stealth Mode, and looks out across Albany from a hill.

**Shay** : *punches time card* 

> ‘Sneak Into The Albany Congress’ 

> As luck would have it,

**Shay** : *eyes light up; goes to speak—*

Shut it, Shay.

**Shay** : “Awww…” *pouts*  

> Congress is meeting outside, on the hill across from him.

This _is_ Congress, right? Not ordinary people giving speeches while Congress is in the building behind them? Horrible as this sounds, all the females make me doubt that. 

> Nobody notices a hooded figure stepping into their midst—they’re all zeroed in on the speaker on the stage: a somewhat elderly gentleman with glasses and shoulder-length brown hair. Itttt’s Benjamin Franklin! 
> 
> _Ah_ , Shay murmurs, singling out a man in the crowd.

Thoughts again? 

> _That must be the Templar William Johnson_.

If it _isn’t_ his thoughts, someone should give him a weird look. “Dafuq you talking about?”

And ‘William Johnson’? The first time Shay comes across that name (unless an Assassin said it off-screen at the Homestead, or something) is when he overhears two guards talking about William in passing, on his way from the first hill to here. Lemme’ quote:

“I wish William Johnson was here. […] [He’s] a trader[,] and was Colonel of the Warriors of the Six Nations for a while. He’s responsible for the New York levies now, I think. He also owns lands and trading posts all over the colonies. And he built Fort William Henry.”

The other guard had never heard of him, so William may be rich but odds are he isn’t paying them. (Although, why else would the first guard want him around…?) And Elizabeth said they’re ‘Templar troops’—utilized by the Order, though not Templars themselves. (Otherwise she would’ve just said ‘Templars.’ That, or I give this game too much credit.) Meaning they don’t owe him allegiance as comrades-in-arms.

Not every wealthy, powerful landowner is a Templar, so why does Shay think he is? 

> _Perhaps he has the Manuscript_ ,

*groans with pained expression* _James Wardrop_ has the Manuscript, you inconceivably useless airhead…and even if you doubt the New York Assassins’ report, why is it more likely in the hands of someone whose existence you discovered ten minutes ago?  

> _or knows where it is_.

*sets laptop aside, bangs head against wall* 

> “As I have stated previously,” Benjamin tells his eager listeners, “I believe we need a national union, granted by an act of Parliament but bringing greater independence to our colonies. The French are an immediate threat, and we are ill-prepared to face them. To put it bluntly, the colonies must join, or die.”
> 
> William Johnson smiles and claps politely as he approaches Benjamin, who’s taking leave of the stage. “A rousing speech, Master Franklin,” he praises, walking with him. “But do you truly believe Great Britain will grant her colonies autonomy?” He’s skeptical of that, himself.
> 
> “They have little choice, Master Johnson,” Benjamin replies, just as casual. “You know the remoteness of this frontier better than most.”

Why has the mission become all about William? When Elizabeth said they’ll prevent James from escaping, she didn’t mean they’ll kill him, too! (Though Shay can’t be faulted for thinking they should.)

Quit watching these nobodies and sniff him out! He has to be somewhere around here…unless you’ve allowed him to get away.  

> William decides to skip pleasantries and get straight to the point. “Yes…but, let us leave politics for another day. I wanted to thank you for your research.” 
> 
> “Of course, of course!” Benjamin says enthusiastically. “In the brief time I could examine that box, I could tell it was something unique. 

“Of course, of course! In the brief time I had to examine that box, I could tell it was unique.  

> From…ancient Egypt, you said? Well, as I mentioned in my letter, I am quite ready to…electrify it.” 
> 
> “Excellent,” William says. “We will have the Box delivered shortly.

“Excellent. We will deliver it shortly.

lulz, no you won’t. 

> As for the Manuscript…” He looks to a British officer who stands waiting, arms folded behind his back. “Captain!”

As for the Manuscript…”

You mean the one you’re discussing _VERY LOUDLY_ in an open, public space, close to a dozen-or-so civilians, never mind any Assassins or Assassin spies who may be listening? Shay had no cause (before you mentioned the Box) to believe you’re a Templar, William, but anyone who’s played _Assassin’s Creed III_ might wonder why you aren’t hypervigilant about this kind of thing. I’m really beginning to understand how the Colonial Assassins know all sorts of crap they shouldn’t. 

> The officer bows his head slightly and approaches. “I apologize, sir,” he tells William respectfully, “but Master Wardrop refused to hand it over. He said the risks were too great.”

“I apologize, sir, but Master Wardrop refused. He said the risks are too great.” 

> “The risks?!” William snaps.

**William** : “What risks?! What are risks?!” 

> “Argh!” His expression softens upon turning to Benjamin, his voice pleasant once more. “I apologize. You will have the Manuscript and the Box in the briefest of delays.”

“You’ll have them in the briefest of delays.” 

> Benjamin nods, then leaves them. William rounds on the officer—“You mangy excuse for a uniform!” he growls through clenched teeth. “Run to Fort Frederick,” he orders, “and tell Master Wardrop he had better cough up that Manuscript post-haste, else I will have him _scalped_!”

“You mangy excuse for a uniform! Run to Fort Frederick and tell him he’d best cough it up post-haste, else I will have him _scalped_!”

*chuckles, rolling eyes* Weh-heh-ell...Good thing Shay happened to be around when William broadcasted the location of the Manuscript _and_ his Templar comrade for anyone caring to listen. Think about if he left the scene after realizing James wasn’t there—While he searched, Templars might’ve moved the Manuscript, thus he would’ve failed his mission and the game would be longer for an Actual Reason as he pursued it. The writers demonstrate his life isn’t always sunshine and roses, and he gets legitimately pissed at the Assassins! Because they had him looking in the wrong place, the Templars were able to keep possession.

**Shay** : “Thank you so much, you incompetent assholes, no wonder I have to do everything around here!” *rolls up sleeves and pushes past them*

But then the Assassins wouldn’t look like perfect little angels!

Wait. Which game am I playing, again?  

> The officer does as told, and William glances behind him—as if feeling like he’s being watched. Then he leaves too. As a matter of fact, he disappears: The cutscene shows him moving away from the crowd…then it ends, we’re back with Shay, and he’s _gone_. Shay chases the officer that William was a few steps behind.

**Shay** : “That’s it, I’m announcing my resignation! They have a wizard on their side; there’s nothing more anyone can do.”  

> ‘Kill the Messenger’
> 
> _I can’t let that lobster captain reach Wardrop_ , Shay thinks.

_I can’t let that lobster captain reach James_. 

Because…then…he…would tell James to hand over the Manuscript or face consequences…possibly resulting in James handing over the Manuscript…and Shay would be able to follow the officer away from the fort, kill him, take it…and…disappear stealthily into the crowd?

Conversely, James—as Grand Master—may refuse to comply. And then Shay would sneak into the fort, kill him, and take the Manuscript. I’m really not seeing the issue here. 

> Shay catches and kills him.
> 
> _Now to Wardrop_ … _and the Manuscript_. 

_Now to James_... _and the Manuscript_. 

Insightful of Ubisoft to shoehorn directions. They must’ve realized their fanbase can’t think for themselves, and would never be able to guess what to do next. 

> ‘Locate James Wardrop’

…You know, except for now. 

> He sneaks into the otherwise impenetrable fort via a convenient pathway of trees and an even more convenient pathway of ledges and handholds, kills James (who kneels in pain, clutching the Manuscript—a semi-thick, leatherbound(?) brown book

[scraping the bottom of the creativity barrel, are we? Are we _sure_ this was made by the First Civilization?]— 

> to his chest with one hand and supporting himself with the other),

[ _Samuel_ ] _tries to crawl away after Shay strikes_ , _gravely injured_ , _clutching the Box in one hand_. 

> and rips the artifact from his grasp, shoving him backward onto the ground.

_Shay kicks Samuel_ ; _the small wooden Box flies out of his hands_

> James reaches toward the Manuscript futilely.

_Futilely_ , [ _Samuel_ ] _reaches for_ [ _the Box_ ], 

> “I’ll take _that_ , you Templar dog,” Shay says viciously.
> 
> “ _No_!” James cries, crawling toward Shay, desperate. “You have no idea what you’re doing, _fool_!”

“No!” _Samuel cries in terror_. “ _Do you even know what that is_?!” _he hisses_.

Stop the deja vu, you’re giving me a headache! 

> “You’ve no idea what you’re doing!”
> 
> “Keeping the people free from your control.” Shay tucks the Manuscript into his coat.
> 
> “How free will you be,” James argues, trying to stem the flow of blood from his wound, “when the French undermine these squabbling colonies?”

Who cares whose colonies they are? The British torment innocents, the Colonial Assassins kick British ass. The French torment innocents, the Colonial Assassins kick French ass. Tuh-may-toe, tuh-mah-toe. 

> Shay’s eyes narrow. He towers over James. “These colonies,” he says harshly, “would be far better off without the Templars pulling the strings!”

He doesn’t think the identity of the Powers That Be matters much either.

“Keeping the people free!” 

> James manages to chuckle. “We…bring order from chaos!” he declares. “If everything is permitted, no one is safe.” His eyes roll back a bit, then close, and he slumps over dead.
> 
> How dare he try to use the Creed against the Assassins, like he understood it. Shay feels so strongly about this that although he can’t hear him, he nevertheless kneels beside James’s body, scowling.
> 
> “Even the devil,” he says in a low, dangerous voice, “can quote scripture to suit his own purposes.”
> 
> Shay finds Liam quite comfortable at the _Morrigan_ ’s wheel when he boards.

Of…course.  

> “I have the Manuscript,” he tells him as they sail downriver.
> 
> “Great,” Liam says, in a *smiles and nods—‘Cool’*-sort of way. “Hope is waiting for you in Sleepy Hollow.”

“Elizabeth’s waiting in Sleepy Hollow.”

WHA—? Unless she took off pretty much right after talking to Shay, _how is she already not only out of town but all the way over there_?! 

> Shay voices the thoughts of players everywhere. “What’s in Sleepy Hollow?”

**Shay** : *hopefully* “Are the New York Assassins based there, and we’re lighting their den on fire?” *looks to sails* “Because this thing _can_ go faster…”

“Because?” 

> “Benjamin Franklin,” Liam answers.

Let’s say I buy that _he_ got over there too. _He_ didn’t have other engagements that we know of… 

> “The man Johnson hired to make that strange Precursor Box work.”

**Shay** : “Oh, you caught that too, huh? Funny, I didn’t see you on any of the roofs.”

**Liam** : “Actually, I heard him from the shi—I…mean…yeah. I was right there with you, invisible. I’m that good.” 

> “So what’s the plan?” asks Shay.
> 
> “Meet Hope,” replies Liam, “impersonate one of Johnson’s men, and give the Box and Manuscript to Franklin.”

“You’re to impersonate William Johnson’s associates, and give him the artifacts.”

**Shay** : “Let me get this straight: Give a civilian I don’t know if we can trust, and who seems a _little_ gullible and off his rocker, these priceless one-of-a-kind relics—which I’ve _killed people_ for?” *laughs darkly* “FU-U-UCK _THAT_!” 

**Liam** : “Shut up, novice, you haven’t earned the right to think.” 

**Shay** : “He wanted to run who-knows-how-many volts of electricity through what he thought was an ancient Egyptian artifact! We hand it to him, it’s doomed!”  

> Shay’s none too pleased. “So I’m a messenger, then?” 

“So I’m a messenger.” 

> “Aye,” Liam says indifferently. “See if this Franklin can figure out how this damned Box operates. And stay with him. Oh, and as far as we can tell, this man doesn’t know about the Templars, or the Assassins for that matter.” 

“Stay with him; see if he can figure out how these damned things operate. And—while I’m thinking about it…as far as we can tell, he doesn’t know about the Templars or Assassins.” 

**Shay** : “Yeah, he seemed pretty clueless when I was standing there watching hi—I…mean…running past him on my way to kill James Wardrop.” 

> “Oh,” Shay replies sarcastically. “A _simple_ task…” 
> 
> Liam chuckles. “For a simple man.” 

He’s got you there. 

Why is Shay at ease minus indignity? James was as for-all-appearances nonthreatening as Samuel; what did he do (in Shay’s opinion) to deserve cold-blooded murder? Maybe he took Liam’s mini-speech to heart…? 

> The next scene begins that night in a forested area. Elizabeth waits near a low brick fence, staring at the sky, then turns when she hears Shay coming toward her through the grass. 
> 
> “You’re late.” 

**Shay** : *seethes* “Oh, excuse _me_! I was busy being an Assassin while you were _lying through your teeth and stargazing_!” 

**Elizabeth** : “Well, Liam said you kept complaining that we never included you…” 

> “The sky is getting temperamental,” she says, walking with him. 
> 
> “That’s not the only thing, is it?” Shay wisecracks. He smiles at her. 

Haha, women being overemotional bitches for no reason. / **obvious sarcasm is obvious**

> They stop in their tracks by a house, and look back in surprise as Benjamin Franklin rushes past, lost in thought. 
> 
> “Uh, Master Franklin, sir!” Shay says quickly, reaching out to stop him. “My name is Shay, and this is my associate Hope.” 

“Uh, Master Franklin, sir! I’m Shay, and this is my associate Elizabeth.” 

> Benjamin whirls around to face him. 

**Shay** : [ O-O ] “We…come in peace?”  

> Then turns and keeps walking away. 

**Shay and Elizabeth** : *look sideways at one another* _Rude_.  

> Shay jogs after him. “William Johnson told us to give you these.” 
> 
> He offers the artifacts, and Benjamin pauses, thrusting whatever he’s carrying into Elizabeth’s hands 

**Elizabeth** : “Bitch, I am not your shelf.” 

> in order to accept them. 
> 
> “Ah!” He holds the Box up to look at it.

But he’s seen it before…?  

> “Thank you,” he tells Shay apologetically, “but I’m afraid I must delay my experiment.”
> 
> “Delay it?” Elizabeth is alarmed. “Why?”

**Shay** : *tests Hidden Blades* 

> They follow him to a long table under a wood awning. The table looks to be covered with various devices.
> 
> “The army confiscated my lightning rods!” Benjamin replies, annoyed, with a ‘goshdarnit’ arm gesture. “They are essential to conducting the electricity I need to vivify your box!”

Vivify: ‘Enliven or animate.’ What gives Benjamin the idea that anything about the Box is capable of being ‘animated’? Ancient Egyptians weren’t known for technological marvels in this regard. 

> “Master Johnson would not want you to have to wait,” Shay says.
> 
> “Perhaps there is something _you_ can do, then.” Benjamin examines a square hole in the center of a miniature table, and gestures toward the army camp and back. “Soldiers have been hauling things away all day,” he complains. “Perhaps they could tell _you_ where they have taken my lightning rods _so_ you could get them back?”

Why would the British Army (assuming that’s who it is) tell Shay anything? If they intended to return the rods, they’d’ve done it.

“Perhaps there is something _you_ can do, then.”  

> He looks at Shay hopefully.

**Shay** : “I’m a messenger _and_ an errand boy. Shall I wash your windows?” 

> Shay nods. “At your service, sir.”
> 
> Elizabeth barks orders. “Begin your investigation at the market near the docks. I will stay here and help with the preparations.”

“Begin investigating at the market near the docks. I will stay and help with preparations.”

What preparations?

**Shay** : “One of these days, I’m going to kill you.” 

> ‘Find the Seized Goods’
> 
> Setting out, Shay hears Benjamin venting some more to Elizabeth. “This is intolerable!” he gripes. “I can barely conduct my research anymore.”

“Intolerable! I can barely conduct research anymore.” 

> “Everyone is having metal confiscated nowadays,” she mentions.

“They’re stealing metal from everyone.”  

> “Yes, yes…The army will melt it down and turn it into weapons,” Benjamin says, resigned. “War is upon us.”

“Yes, yes…To be melted down and turned into weapons. War is upon us.” 

> Long story short, Shay follows a soldier bringing confiscated metal to a warehouse from the market, and gets the rods in a sequence that _totally_ isn’t reminiscent of _Black Flag_ ’s plantation raids. Benjamin looks up from the Box when he returns. Elizabeth is hunched over something on the table beside him.

The Manuscript? 

> “Shay!” Benjamin hurries over, delighted. “Thank goodness!”

“Thank goodness!” 

> A crash of thunder.
> 
> “Quick—help me with the rods!”

“Quick—help me with them!” 

> Shay gets the rods from where he’s left them in a pile on the grass and plants them into the earth in a square, fully extending them once Benjamin twists their rounded caps on. They’re frantic; it’s only a matter of time before the disturbingly close lightning makes impact.

What remarkable timing this is. If the Assassins had the artifacts and rods in-hand, but the next storm wasn’t for weeks…well then…Templars find out artifacts are gone, Brothers dead, Assassins involved, rods missing from warehouse, Benjamin vanished (owing to the Assassins’ need to ensure the army didn’t interrogate him about said rods’ whereabouts)…Start to think maybe they’ve been double-crossed, and the United States is short one Founding Father. (The Assassins can’t protect him forever.) Actually, they’re short a country and a bunch of rebels who were hung after losing the Revolution. Therefore, storm. 

> Long, thick jumprope-esque wires(?) are attached from the rods to the Box, and the trio wait anxiously. Elizabeth watches Benjamin tinker with the artifact. Shay stares at the sky.
> 
> Electricity travels up the wires, creating a static-filled mini-explosion that sends them reeling.
> 
> Benjamin attempts to open the Box, in hopes the lightning knocked something loose—another strike makes them all jump back, shielding their faces. Shay tentatively places a hand on Elizabeth’s arm, silently asking whether she’s all right; she gives a small nod and smile, and he moves away.
> 
> Third time’s a charm. _This_ explosion—powerful enough that Benjamin and Elizabeth are knocked to the ground, Shay half-blinded on one knee—triggers the artifact: it stays closed

(can it be opened?),  

> but a bright indigo, spinning holographic globe forms in the air above it, contrasted against the night.

Gee, where have I seen this…let me think... 

> Shay straightens, holding his head and then putting his arms out to steady himself.
> 
> “It’s a map!” gasps Elizabeth

—in case the player is unfamiliar with the function of a globe— 

> rising to her feet; Shay staggers a little and shakes his head, getting his bearings.
> 
> “Where is that?”

Earth. That would be Earth, Elizabeth.

It’s all featureless landmasses except for a few golden beams of light extending toward them from various locations. The key words here are ‘a few.’ As in, no less than three.

As in, Elizabeth needs to stop pointing at the Atlantic Ocean and be a _smidge_ more specific what she means by ‘that.’ The beam emanating from the Arctic? The one shining on the southwest African coast? Or maybe Portugal? 

> “Portugal!” Shay yells for no clear reason (the thunder isn’t that loud.) “Lisbon—I’d stake my life on it!”

Really? You’re willing to die if you aren’t both referring to the same spot?

Naturally they are, because Lisbon’s where the plot takes them, so how could she mean anything else? 

> Elizabeth looks at him, before moving quickly to help Benjamin up. “Make yourself scarce, Shay!” she advises. “The militia will be here any minute. I’m sure they will have questions.”

“Make yourself scarce, Shay! The militia could be here any minute. I’m sure they have questions.”

That’s the spirit—good old-fashioned Assassin camaraderie! We haven’t seen nearly enough of it.

However, this assumes the army caught on to their contraband having been absconded with in a relatively limited timespan…Okay, feasible. 

> “What about you?” Shay asks in concern.
> 
> “I’m a devoted housekeeper,” Elizabeth replies wryly, as she leads Benjamin over to the table.
> 
> “Right!” Shay laughs, before he takes off running to find a hiding place.

Or she could…grab the artifacts and come with him, that’s always…ya’ know…an option? Benjamin would be left alone thinking WTF, but he has to be doing that already. ‘Just _maybe_ this thing isn’t from ancient Egypt after all, and why are those lunatics raving about Portugal and not the fact that this map came out of thin air and is glowing and _moving_?! **_WHAT MAGIC IS THIS_**! I MUST TELL EVERYONE!’ And then the Assassins have to kill him, and…yeesh, the United States’ prospects aren’t looking good, are they?


	8. Okay, “Rogue,” This is Just Fucking Embarrassing

> One morning(?), Achilles and Elizabeth look out over Two Bends from the bureau deck. The sun shines, birds chirp adorably, wind blows through leaves, the town is void of inhabitants…all’s peaceful. 

How much time has passed? What’ve they been doing? 

> Achilles turns when Shay walks almost noiselessly up to them. 

No doubt impressed he’s getting better at this. 

> A moment later, Elizabeth senses his presence as well. 
> 
> “Lisbon’s near as large as London or Paris.” She’s serious as a heart attack, speaking so rapidly you’d think she’s been threatened with spontaneous combustion if the conversation doesn’t end fast enough.

“Lisbon’s near as vast as London or Paris.”

 **Shay** : *sarcastically* “Hello to you too. I’m all right, thanks for asking, and how about you guys? Fine? Great. Wonderful weather, sailed here in no time. Now on to business—let’s talk Lisbon.” 

> “Are you sure you can find this one place?”

The lady has a point. Provided the temple _is_ within Lisbon—underground as usual, but the Colonial Assassins may not even know _that_ much—how will he locate it? What would sure help in this situation are light, portable devices which let you access said temple, including maybe one that could project an image of its location on a wall…

(I haven’t the slightest how ‘ancient wisdom’ is supposed to aid in that endeavor.) 

> “I saw it clear as day, Hope,” Shay answers with confidence.

“I saw it clear as day, Elizabeth.”

Agreed: That globe _was_ hi-res, the locations nigh-unmistakable…until you got to ‘Are you sure it’s X Country and not Y Country? Yes? Now we figure what villages, towns, and-or cities are around that beam, and hope this place isn’t in the middle of nowhere, underwater, or so far buried we’ll need a month to dig.’ 

> “It’s a convent, 

“A convent, 

…  
…  
…

 _DAMN_ he has good eyesight! 

> right close by the harbour. 

close by the harbour. 

 _DAAAAMN_.

 **Achilles** : *dumbfounded* “How could you…?”

 **Elizabeth** : “The map didn’t display the city’s name, let alone a picture of it.”

 **Shay** : *shoves script back into coat* “Eagle Vision has a zoom feature.”  

> I might have visited the sisters once or twice,” he concludes suggestively.

I might’ve visited the sisters once or twice.”

One of my friends asked why I skipped a discussion between Shay and Liam which begins after: “Who knows? I fear we might never truly understand how any of the Pieces of Eden work.” It wasn’t as random as some of their topics, I said. (‘Templar affairs,’ anyone?) They’re best friends (and male to boot) bored numb from sailing all day, fantasizing about girls—not much cause to complain. And it wasn’t important to the plot. I was mistaken on that last count: “Where in the world has the most beautiful girls? […] [There’s] the maids I met in Lisbon. Destined for the convent, they were[.]”

So it _wasn’t_ random. Just mildly forced foreshadowing.

How does Shay know all this? Don’t tell me he used the Box again later and saw an image. Until proven otherwise, it only functions through a high-powered electric surge. 

> “Given your present knowledge of the site,” Achilles ceremonially announces—Shay turns from the fence to regard him, passive—“this duty falls upon _you_.

I could see if someone else was assigned this mission—the city’s not going anywhere, might as well pick your best—then the Box was reactivated, Shay recognized the convent, and Achilles favored someone who knew their way around over someone with more killing experience. They aren’t _there_ to kill anyone, they’re there to find something. But they planned to send him whether or not he knew more-or-less exactly where to look. Is Louis busy? Elizabeth, anything scheduled this week? 

> You understand what must be done?”

“You understand what must be done?” 

> “Find the Precursor Temple,” the novice affirms, proud. “And retrieve the Piece of Eden.”

Maybe the responsibility makes Shay feel important.

“Retrieve the Piece of Eden.” 

> “We finally obtained a ship for crossing the ocean,” Elizabeth tells Shay, staring toward the dock.

(Not sure why the _Morrigan_ isn’t fit for intercontinental travel, but Shay wouldn’t need an explanation. He might, however, need one for why they didn’t just hand over the _Aquila_ …which was built 4.7+ years ago in 1749…in France…whereupon it crossed the Atlantic Ocean to North America, arriving no later than December 1750.)

Then she gives him the kindest, most genuine—and slightly creepy—smile I’ve seen on her face since she was introduced. 

> “Have no worries—I will keep the _Morrigan_ safe in New York.”

“Have no worries—I’ll keep the _Morrigan_ safe in New York.”

New _what now_? Why not the Homestead, where we’ve seen it docked before? …*sighs* Because the more Shay claims to ‘make his own luck’ and not believe in fate, the harder fate tries to prove its existence. (It’s tragic, really.) If Elizabeth kept the _Morrigan_ at the Homestead, that’s where Shay would need to retrieve it after being declared a traitor. He would use his skills to sneak through the woods and eliminate Assassins as necessary (turning Elizabeth’s stealth exercise into foreshadowing), get to the docks, and escape while _Le Gerfaut_ chased him. Hot _damn_ I’d love to play that mission!

Unfortunately, _Rogue_ sucks. And it’s kept at New York so it can be handed to him on a silver platter. 

> Shay smiles in return. “Thank you,” he says gratefully, before wiping all emotion save determination from his face and telling Achilles, “Liam and I will leave straight away.”
> 
> “Liam—” Achilles begins; Shay, about to make for the dock, stops in his tracks. “—is unavailable at present.

Isn’t Liam _with_ Shay; he’s not waiting on the _Morrigan_? The only plausible explanation I can give is: When Shay departed the Homestead—or wherever—to come here, he left Liam behind, and was about to go back for him until Achilles said that. But they’re always together (when sailing, that is), and only wouldn’t be if Liam was sick or on another mission. So why doesn’t he know Liam can’t join him?

All right, there’s another explanation: Liam tagged along, then ditched Shay once the latter was out of sight without bothering to tell him where he was going or why. Seems like something he’d do.

So, Achilles, what _is_ Liam tied up with? Killing a bigshot Templar? Stealing weapons? Hunting? I’d ask if he has a girlfriend, but Assassins in _Rogue_ are celibate. 

> Your crew and ship await.

**Shay** : “I’ll never find out where he went, and it’s going to drive me crazy until I die, isn’t it?”

 **Elizabeth** : *ruffles Shay’s hair* “Who says you aren’t smart?”  

> Be careful, Shay: Pieces of Eden are powerful relics.”

Be careful: Pieces of Eden are powerful relics.” 

> The scene ends with no response from Shay. They aren’t toys, and he won’t mess around with whatever it is.

Skipping part of memory to a more recent one… 

> He pilots a larger ship to a city on a hill, half-shrouded in fog. Fishing boats peruse its opaque harbor.
> 
> [Lisbon, Portugal, November 1755]

More than a year after ‘discerning’ the temple’s location. In the late 1500s a one-way trip from Great Britain to North America’s east coast was two months ‘under the best of circumstances.’ (So four-five months on average?) And Portugal and Britain are virtually next-door neighbors. Unless ship-building technology got _worse_ since then, what have the Assassins been wasting time on? 

> Fade to black. Fade in to the sound of pealing bells, originating relatively close to houses dwarfed by what looks like an egg-white castle, and thin, short trees. All strung with festive, multicolored triangular flags.
> 
> _Feast of All Saints_ , Shay thinks.

I think. 

> _What a sight_. _And here I am_ —
> 
> He ascends a wide, curving stone flight toward the convent.
> 
> — _looking for a relic from the time before Adam and Eve_. _Strange days indeed_.

_Feast of All Saints_. _And here I am_ , _looking for something from the time before Adam and Eve_. 

> Shay enters the convent during Mass(?). The priest(?)

Forgive my atheistic ignorance of religious practices and personnel. 

> gives a speech in Latin, at any rate, and nobody seems to pay attention to Shay

Sure, ignore the guy strolling through a church with a rifle slung across his back. 

> as he looks around the enormous, dimly-lit hall. Gray stone, huge doors, stained glass windows, a chandelier, weird platform and ledge sticking out of the wall that provides a shorter jump to chandelier…
> 
> ‘Unlock the Precursor Temple’

He plans to do this…how? What gave an indication he can access the temple from inside the convent, as opposed to outside or a tunnel that opens five blocks away?

If he’s not in a rush, why doesn’t he attempt to sneak in late at night, when there aren’t a multitude of witnesses? The Creed, motherfucker—do you know it?!

 **Shay** : *looks up from Wikipedia* “But I’m on a deadline: History says I need to finish by ten a.m.”

Then Ubisoft should’ve made you desperate, said Templars figured out where the temple was. A night search is obviously _their_ strategy (keep the general populace ignorant), so you have to take a risk to beat them. 

> Using Eagle Vision, Shay sees a glowing triangle floating above said weird platform-and-ledge combo,

This is when the objective should pop up. 

> and climbs what—to anyone else—would appear to be just a pillar. The place is so dark that his robes look black.
> 
> He reaches the platform. Just beneath the stained glass window, he finds an engraved triangle—matching the symbol he saw from the floor. Below that is a rectangular hole the size of a playing card, maybe smaller; he examines it. Then…jams his Hidden Blade in and twists. 
> 
> _It works_. Stone grinds against stone, echoing through the convent as one-fourth of a circular platform is raised from the rest of the floor.

I refuse to believe nobody hears that. 

> Across the hall is another floating triangle. Hidden Blade, raised platform, find the next one, repeat, until all four sections join. He steps onto the platform and it is automatically lowered by chains, revealing a long staircase into the depths of a cavern.

Which nobody else will explore. “That wasn’t here yesterday…” 

> ‘Retrieve the Artifact’
> 
> _This must be it_! Shay thinks, excited. _The Precursor site_ …

_This must be it_!

The convent was founded 1389 C.E.–a.k.a. 76,389 years after the Isu-Human War ended and the isu became nearly extinct. Despite the built-in platform activation system…whoever was responsible for said founding had no idea this existed?

Fine, maybe they were Assassins or Templars keeping it on the down-low. If that’s true…(and there’s an explanation for why the site hadn’t already been discovered)…they never removed the artifact? Weren’t curious what it was, and if it might be useful?  

> The stairs end at a narrow cliff that looks fragile, ready to break off into mist-filled abyss. When he comes to the edge, a motion-activated bridge rises from the depths, stepstone-by-glowing-stepstone.

I won’t even try to figure out how the power is still running. Same magic that fuels the Pieces of Eden?  

> _What do we have here_?
> 
> He crosses to an obelisk in the middle of a cavern. Three shimmering columns are attached to one side; one descends to his height, and from the center of that rises a narrow, rectangular silver pedestal—above which a star-shaped object, black with white tips, floats and spins.

What’s the point of the other two, I wonder?

> _The artifact_!
> 
> He leans forward for a better view…and gingerly reaches to pick it up. The second he makes contact, light branches across hair-thin, previously invisible grooves on its surface like a geometric spider web. He’s still attempting to figure out what he’s dealing with when it disintegrates in his hands.
> 
> The whole temple shakes, causing him to stumble back. He looks around. What happened? Then yelps when a chunk of rock lands in front of him. More boulders rain down, and he realizes the temple will collapse. He sprints across the bridge, up the stairs—‘Escape the Church’—where he finds the convent suddenly a lot brighter because most of the ceiling is gone, creating the world’s largest skylight.
> 
> Also, there are people still “in” the convent, looking frantic…until Shay shows up, at which point they run with him toward the exit.
> 
> ‘Escape Lisbon’
> 
> All around him on Lisbon’s streets, people scream and flee to cover; buildings shift, or are reduced to rubble or lit aflame; ground splits; and windows shatter. Shay runs toward his ship. He has to keep running—if he doesn’t, he’ll probably be crushed.
> 
> He jumps onto a broken, flaming roof. It appears no more damaged than some he’s traversed, but a few strides in it snaps underneath him and he plunges several floors, smacking into two landings and moaning. He tries to get up, only to slip and fall again. Wooden beams burn all around him, roaring and crackling. He keeps running.
> 
> Minutes later he climbs through an open window into a vacant room of someone’s home. The house begins tipping. He tries to make it to the opposite window, nearest the harbor—but collides with a desk situated between him and it, and is thrown out a third window, on a collision course with the neighboring building’s outer wall. Which he smacks into. Then he falls onto a roof just below, and is showered with brick shards.
> 
> At last he comes to a building on a cliff and jumps through an intact window, into the sea. He pulls himself aboard his ship, flopping onto the deck. Only an Assassin could be so lucky. The civilians don’t know how to traverse the dangerous terrain like he did; they’re effectively at the mercy of the earthquake.
> 
> A crewman helps Shay up and supports him, shaking his head disbelievingly as they watch black smoke cloud the city’s air. “How could God do this to them?”
> 
> “God had nothing to do with _this_ ,” Shay replies in an undertone.

This sequence is a blast, thrilling and terrible (in an emotional gut punch-kind of way, not an ugh-kind of way). Constant motion, albeit not as flowing and graceful as Ezio pursuing Byzantines through that…cave?…in _Revelations_. (That’s what it reminds me of, though.) The devastation wrought by the earthquake, and Shay’s guilt at being responsible, are conveyed effectively.

Handwaving logistical problems with accessing the temple and the undisturbed artifact, why did the temple exist? To house that…whatever-it-was? Why create storage not loaded with a hundred defense mechanisms if no one needed to find it, because if they did anything with it… _THIS_? It’s as if the isu looked into the future, saw that Assassins searching for Pieces of Eden underground was going to be a thing, and decided to troll them. Which might be kinda’ funny. Oodles of wasted time and effort, but nonetheless.

On a serious note, they either wanted to guard something important—but how to ensure the thing would be undamaged and accessible if the collapse was triggered?—or keep everyone from touching it. Second explanation is highly unlikely: How’d it get there, if not by someone carrying it?

Mayhaps the self-destruction feature can be neutralized (with another Piece of Eden? A button-slash-switch? A passcode? Might it be DNA-coded like the Apple?) and the whatever-it-is—it has no official name; on the Wiki, it’s ‘a Piece of Eden’—has a use. Maybe the Manuscript states in First Civilizationese: “In order to not die, follow these steps” and Louis was right—Shay needs to read more.  

> Some months later (January or February 1756) at Davenport Manor, Shay bangs a door open. He is _pissed_. “So what’s the next city you want me to smite?!”
> 
> Achilles turns from the fireplace, caught unawares. Shay storms over to him. “What happened in Haiti—” Elizabeth interrupts Shay mid-rant, rising from her seat in a shadowy corner and moving between the two, pushing him back.

Not a bad idea, given how quick and efficient Hidden Blades are.

Why was she sitting there doing nothing in the middle of the day? 

> “—happened in Portugal!” Shay roars, largely ignoring Elizabeth’s uninvited presence. She readies to counter an attack, tense and wary. “A great earthquake” —He strides forward again, pointing accusingly at Achilles; Elizabeth tries to shove him, hands on his chest, but pants under the effort and settles for restraining— “thousands _dead_ thanks to your damned Manuscript!”

Much like God, the Manuscript had nothing to do with this. You haven’t opened it, haven’t translated a word since prying it from James’s cold, dead hands. _Because anyone who can add two plus two can tell it’s useless_! It might not even be as practical as a travel guide—it could be some isu artist’s _sketchbook_! You didn’t need it to activate the Box _or_ narrow down where the temple was _or_ get in _or_ access the Piece of Eden! You chased the book, took it from its previous owner, and set it about the very important task of collecting dust on a shelf. And now you’re blaming it for the deaths of thousands. You should be ashamed of yourself, Shay. Truly, _truly_ ashamed. Go apologize. 

> Achilles’s expression is unreadable. Then his brow furrows, and he replies harshly, “This cannot be.”

You tell ‘im! It was all the Box’s fault!  

> Elizabeth tries to get across the absurdity of what he’s suggesting. “Shay, a person cannot start an _earthquake_!”

“A person can’t start an _earthquake_!”

 **Shay** : “Were you there? Liam might’ve been getting drunk and playing cards or whatever the fuck else, but _you_ could have come with me. Instead you joined him! Meanwhile I’m staring at the Piece of Eden—then right when I grab hold, the planet takes notice and everything goes to _shit_! Maybe I do make my own luck, because that is one terrific fucking coincidence!”  

> “A person” —Shay advances then retreats, sparing Elizabeth the trouble— “meddling with these Precursor machines _could_!”

“A person meddling with Precursor machines _could_!” 

> His expression changes fleetingly to anguish as he looks at her. ‘Please be on my side.’
> 
> “You saw the Box, Hope…”

“You saw the Box, Eliza…”  

> Then once more, he rounds on Achilles—who looks more curious or concerned than hostile. “The temple was filled to bursting with that kind of power!”

The kind that requires a lightning storm to jumpstart…a hologram? To him that’s witchcraft, but hardly comparable to bringing a city to its knees.  

> Elizabeth’s eyes narrow and flicker to Achilles, before she glares at Shay.

‘Why blame him? He never guaranteed it was safe, he knew as little about it as you did.’ 

> “You made me SLAUGHTER INNOCENTS!”
> 
> “How _dare_ you!” Elizabeth seethes.

How dare he make unfounded accusations that any decent Assassin—much less one he’s come to know well, and their Mentor—would manipulate others into killing civilians. It’s the ultimate insult.

Achilles is the _backbone_ of this Brotherhood. He gave her, Shay, and Liam a home and family when they had nothing. How dare Shay charge in and say he’s committed genocide without allowing him to defend himself.  

> “You defend him?” Shay says incredulously. “Achilles sent me in there like Mackandal—”
> 
> The door, which has eased shut, opens again less violently. Liam strides through quickly, having heard the racket.
> 
> “—sent his man in Haiti! He _knew_!”
> 
> No sooner has Shay gotten the last word out than Liam is before him. “What the hell’s going on?! Stop this!”
> 
> “The operation was delicate,” Achilles begins. “Perhaps you—”
> 
> But Shay’s in no mood to listen to reason. “You are shifting the Earth itself! Who are you to decide what city falls next?!”

“You’re shifting the Earth itself! Who are you to decide what falls next?!” 

> Achilles has put up with his shit long enough. “Get him out of here!”
> 
> Liam complies, forcibly escorting Shay into the hall. Elizabeth slams the door.

AC fans love to paint this as the Colonial Brotherhood having become so fanatical and corrupt they refuse to heed Shay’s warning, not caring who’s hurt as long as they achieve their goals. I, myself, summarized it as ‘Achilles being a heartless asshole for no reason, and everyone else defending his being a heartless asshole.’ But if Shay would stop to think halfway clearly, he’d know that’s not even close to the truth.

On its face, his argument sounds reasonable: Because Achilles knew what happened the last time an isu temple was disturbed, he knew what would happen next time. And he sent Shay anyway, believing civilian casualties mattered little if a Piece of Eden was out of Templar hands (even though Vendredi was unsuccessful.) He was callous and reckless. “In your haste to save the world, boy, take care you don’t destroy it.” All that good stuff. But it fails on two counts: First, Achilles knew nothing that Shay didn’t—and Shay agreed to the mission anyway, with no small amount of enthusiasm.

Second, no one dreamed the Haitian catastrophe would repeat itself. Nothing in the conversation Shay overheard between Achilles and Adéwalé suggests either believed the earthquake and tidal wave, and Vendredi disturbing the temple, were linked. They talk about the disaster as a backdrop to his exploits, not a consequence _of_ them—they thought it coincidence. If an Assassin finds a Piece of Eden and it starts raining, you don’t blame the Assassin.

Achilles sent Shay to Lisbon because—by a stroke of you-know-what—Shay had been to the site before. He expected him to return artifact in hand, no problems, since the odds of another earthquake occurring there so soon were laughable at best. Imagine what must have run through his mind when Shay showed up ranting about that very thing. Had the Assassins lost the cosmic lottery (again), or might there be a connection?

But Shay wouldn’t give him a moment’s peace to process the information—he carried on yelling everyone’s ears off about it being Achilles’ fault, wouldn’t entertain the notion it might have been his. Wouldn’t listen to _anyone_ despite this being the Brotherhood, where leader and recruits can discuss problems as equals. It’s no wonder Achilles, Elizabeth, and Liam came off as assholes: If Shay wouldn’t show them basic respect, why should they offer any?  

> An indeterminate period of time later (that evening?), Shay sits alone on a tree stump, glowering at a campfire; it isn’t much, especially in light of the cold, whistling wind, and snow gradually blanketing large rocks and still-green trees.
> 
> _Liam is a fool if he thinks I’ll leave this be_.

Shay’s mouth isn’t moving, so…yeah—it’s his thoughts.

What _did_ Liam say after removing him from Achilles’ and Elizabeth’s presence? They’ve had each other’s backs on just about everything, and now they’ve been thrust into conflict. This isn’t an exchange you’d think the editors would leave on the cutting room floor—

LIAM: “Since we were boys, you’ve been…running your mouth ahead of your common sense!”

SHAY: “You’re a fine one to talk about common sense, following the orders of a bitter madman like Achilles!”

LIAM: “You will sit and wait, and when the time comes, you will show Achilles some respect if it’s the last thing you do!”

—except according to hidden sound clips, they totally did.

Liam probably ran off there before he could change his mind about breaking Shay’s nose. 

> _Achilles cannot be trusted_.

Shay cannot be this stupid. 

> _He must never find another Precursor temple_.

Weeping for logic done and set aside, there are two ways to ensure this. The most efficient is Shay killing him. Understandably difficult owing to the gap in skill level, Achilles a Master. The other is removing the Box (which led Francois to the Haitian temple, and Shay Lisbon’s) from Assassin hands.

But stealing a Piece of Eden and putting it in danger of Templar reclamation would be legitimate grounds for accusing Shay of having compromised the Brotherhood. Which is the worst crime an Assassin can commit and might result in his swift execution…particularly since Achilles may not be in a forgiving mood. Therefore, he’ll obviously want to weigh pros and cons, and at the very least formulate a solid plan for what to do _after_ he betrays a league of experts at murder, stealth, and blending into crowds.

Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking about for a second. 

> _I don’t care that he’s Mentor_ ,

He may want to reconsider, for reasons mentioned above… 

> _or that his family is dead_. Shay pulls up his hood.

True, that wouldn’t be a good excuse for anything. (Save depression or revenge. Can’t get revenge on typhoid, though.) But you don’t see Achilles using it as a crutch. Of course, that _may_ be due to the fact you hardly see Achilles period, but when you _do_ he never mentions grief over their passing in any context, much less as justification for his actions. Of course, that _may_ be due to the fact Ubisoft gives negative fucks, but—  

> _There’s no excuse for this level of madness_!

On this, I concur. Stop acting crazy. 

> He kicks snow onto the fire. The full moon has risen quite high, but candlelight still sets the manor’s windows aglow, even from this distance.
> 
> He returns to the scene of the outburst—Achilles’ study—and tries to open a desk drawer. It’s locked, and makes a thump upon reaching the end of its metaphorical short leash. Shay’s solution? Automatic, all-purpose lockpicking kits on his wrists.

Never mind wedging a Hidden Blade into a narrow, tight space and applying pressure might break the device. He didn’t spare a thought to that in Portugal, why start now? 

> “There’s no turning back now,” Shay tells himself.
> 
> He opens the drawer….and grabs the Manuscript.

If you pause just at this moment, you’ll hear tiny, defenseless brain cells screaming as they explode. I’m pretty sure it’s a game feature. 

> He tucks the book into his coat just as when he stole it the first time. Unfortunately, the jig’s up—he doesn’t hear or sense a hooded figure slipping inside the room, watching him.

Even if his uniform weren’t distinctive, the rifle is. 

> Shay turns to leave, halting when he notices the Assassin at the door.
> 
> “I had such hopes for _you_ , Shay,” Achilles says quietly.

“I had such hopes for _you_.”

You didn’t make sure he was _asleep_ before you robbed the place?! You weren’t hypervigilant in case he snuck up and used his Hidden Blade to lockpick your _skull_?! 

> “Achilles.” Shay’s surprised, maybe filled with dread. Yet his voice is equally soft.

Gee, isn’t this ironic… 

> “I have to do this.”

Ha, you want him to listen and let you explain. That’s rich. 

> “And what is it you’re doing, exactly?” Achilles asks. “Stealing from your Brothers? Betraying me?”

Holy crap, is he letting you explain? [ O_O ] 

> “Someone must make amends.”

I still love Shay, even though he makes me want to punch him sometimes. He’s haunted and guilt-ridden…but he’s ignoring the Box, hence risking his life for nothing and making amends to _no one_.  

> “Make amends?” Achilles repeats incredulously. “You have no idea what you’re doing! The future of the whole continent, maybe the whole world, is tied up in that Manuscript!”

“The continent’s future, maybe the world’s, is tied up in that Manuscript!”

B-…but i—…th—…b-…h-….Okay, laptop, here’s the deal: I won’t throw you across the room, but in exchange I get to believe Achilles is trying to convince Shay he doesn’t want the Manuscript stolen so he’ll think he’s accomplishing something. Is it Canon? If by that, you mean ‘something Ubisoft would swear up and down is not true because they intended him to mean every word despite zero evidence,’ then yes, it’s 100% Canon.  

> “Perhaps,” Shay says. “But we don’t have the right to decide that future.”

“Perhaps, but we don’t have the right to decide it.” 

> “The right?!

We heard him the first time. 

> We have the responsibility!”

“We have the responsibility!”  

> “ _We_ are responsible for killing innocents and destroying cities! This…mad grab for power—it ends now.”

In a nutshell, Achilles says there are two futures: One where Templars use the contents of these sites to rule the colonies, maybe the world…and another where Assassins reach the sites first, clearing them out. Assassins have a duty—a responsibility—to ensure free will survives. Shay argues that no matter what, Assassins cannot deem some innocents expendable while others may live.

Both are correct, adhering strictly to Assassin philosophy. However, Shay fails to realize that no civilians have been purposely killed in the Assassins’ quest to find these temples. (On Achilles’ part; Francois’s recruits think he’s “deranged” and liable to “be driven to committing a truly awful act.” If he _did_ / _does_ kill a civilian, his Brotherhood should be shot for allowing him to remain in power.) 

> “I will not let you destroy everything we have built!” Achilles says, as angry as if Shay insulted his mother instead of expressing remorse for the deaths of people he was supposed to protect.

No, don’t sympathize and say you didn’t know it would happen, but that you’re sorry he had to go through it and the Assassins will do everything in their power to prevent similar tragedies in future. You’re both human—you make mistakes and can’t do anything but learn from them. A great Assassin said, “We are one. As we share in the glory of our victories, so too should we share the pain of our defeat. In this way we grow closer. We grow stronger.”

Say _that_ , and this game might…*shudder* Have shades of gray. 

> He grabs Shay’s shoulders and shoves him backward through the nearest window to disorient him. Its wood frame cracks and splinters, and its glass shatters loudly, falling onto the snow outside.
> 
> “Agh!” Shay cringes, held suspended with his head out the window.
> 
> Achilles throws him in the opposite direction; he lands in a heap on the study’s floor.

He may see Shay as dangerous—refusing to listen to reason (so why keep trying to talk him out of it?), intent on betraying the Brotherhood consequences be damned…and a lot of innocents may have died, but if the artifacts fall back into Templar hands, those who survived will wish they were dead…All the same, it’s better to waste his breath than outright try to kill him, since he doesn’t come off as a model Assassin right now either. When he acts this way, can Shay be blamed for thinking he doesn’t care? 

> Achilles approaches rapidly as Shay starts to rise. Shay kicks his leg (Achilles groans through clenched teeth), then shoves him aside onto the desk

Achilles hasn’t made every effort to spare Shay’s life (part of it makes sense, and the rest is OOC), but Shay’s done as much for him. He doesn’t want to hurt his surrogate family or anyone else. 

> and jumps out the window, breaking more glass. He scrambles off the snow heap and runs.
> 
> Achilles watches him go. “Assassins!” he calls; Shay takes cover in nearby brush. “Stop him! Stop Shay!”

Order. [ :3 ] <3 

> As if on cue, a docked ship fires mortars like flares: three red streaks that arc and crash into the grounds.

-_- Okay, _Rogue_ , this is just fucking embarrassing.  

> “Run!” an Assassin shouts. “Run away!”

“Run!”  

> His Brothers, standing near lit torch posts behind the manor,

(…in a snowstorm…9 or 10 p.m.-ish on a cloudless night…wind blowing, indicating that it’s cold as fuck out there…) 

> flee.
> 
> “Has Chevalier gone mad?” another says. “He’ll destroy the manor!”
> 
> “Take cover!” “Move!” “Get out of here!”
> 
> “Chevalier’s using mortars to stop Shay!”

[ c: ] Actually, that’s incorrect, Random Assassin #49. This isn’t _Le Gerfaut_ having no regard as to whether it might kill people who aren’t Shay. 

This is _Le Gerfaut_ launching mortars at the Homestead for the sheer fun of it! [ =D ]

Because there is _no_ chance—and I mean not even if you _squint_ —that Louis heard Achilles down there. So far down that his masts are the only part of his ship visible from the manor. Barely. For all he knows, Shay could be asleep, keeping watch, training (okay, he wasn’t born yesterday), or hugging a basketful of puppies—he could be _dead_ and Louis none the wiser.

Good thing none of these Assassins have kids, or he’d be in such deep shit.

> ‘Escape the Homestead’
> 
> But when Shay emerges from hiding, they put aside fear for their own safety and turn their efforts to chasing and taking him down. The Mentor is Mentor for a reason—he’s the best of them, wise and experienced; he’s never led them astray before. If he says Shay needs to be stopped and they delay to ask questions, he’ll escape. The Brotherhood comes first.

Tying Louis to a torch post and firing mortars at him can wait.  

> A mortar knocks down a tree, setting it aflame, blocking Shay’s path; he very nearly leaps off a rock straight into it. He changes course and runs through a narrow pass, breathing heavily. The cliffs on either side are too difficult to climb when he’s being tailed.
> 
> Above him, Liam takes out a pistol and shoots a stack of powder kegs on the opposite cliff.

Presumably there for such an occasion. 

> A rumbling landslide cuts Shay off again, its force(?) like a dynamite explosion, sending him flying back.
> 
> “You won’t hinder our plans!” Elizabeth ~~cackles, like a mad scientist bent on taking over the world in a Saturday morning cartoon~~ says from further down the cliff.
> 
> As in Lisbon, Shay just keeps moving. If he doesn’t, he’ll die; if he doesn’t, they’ll catch him.
> 
> “Won’t you listen to reason, Shay?” Elizabeth abruptly despairs.

“Won’t you listen to reason?”

 **Shay** : “Could, but then I’d stay an Assassin and this is a Templar story!”

 **Elizabeth** : “Huh?”

 **Shay** : *cheerily* “Nothing! Plus this guy is trying to bury his axe in my back. So—bye!” *waves as he sprints past* 

> He dodges and weaves through a score of recruits—most of whom just sort of…stand in a menacing fashion.
> 
> “How _could you_ , Shay?” Elizabeth can be heard asking sadly.

“How _could you_?”

How can he what? Shouldn’t she ask what’s going on, what did he do, why is he running? Let’s talk about this? You’re our Brother?

No? None of that, nothing? Plot conveniences and Assassins being as despicable as possible? 

> “You will have to run _faster_ than that!” Kesegowaase yells.

Dude. You weren’t there either—you have no clue what he did. (Or rather, you _do_ , but you _shouldn’t_.) Hunt him because Achilles says so, kill him if you must, but don’t act giddy like he’s a Templar invader you can’t wait to sink your hatchet into. This might all be a misunderstanding. 

> Shay slows to a jog and then halts when he reaches a dead end. A cliff overlooking the ocean. The other Assassins catch up as he stares into water that will render him hypothermic in hours if not minutes; they stand between him and the pass, so he can’t turn back and vanish into the woods.
> 
> Liam trains a pistol on him. “That’s enough!”
> 
> Shay admits defeat, knows he’s finished no matter which way he looks at it. He lowers his hood.
> 
> “Give back the Manuscript, Shay!” Elizabeth pleads.

Why does she think it’s not in the desk?  

> “I’m sure Achilles—!” 

“Give back the Manuscript! I’m sure Achilles—!”

She’s asking him to repent; she truly, sincerely believes he’d be accepted back into the Brotherhood. Artifact’s safe, everyone’s fine, they can pretend it never happened. And she’s probably right. After all, it’s not like Achilles is a _monster_ , and Altair was redeemed after breaking all three tenets. On purpose. If there’d been a fourth tenet, he’d’ve broken that too.

Achilles can clearly see that Shay’s actions stem from a desire to _follow_ the Creed. He isn’t a traitor. Only confused.  

> “I cannot!” he says hoarsely, looking back at her. “I will not let this happen again!

Say it won’t. 

> All those souls lost…

Achilles? Elizabeth, who’s in love with him? Liam, his “best friend”? Somebody?  

> One more hardly matters.” He finishes in little more than a whisper.

Gonna’ watch in silence because his misery entertains you. I forgot that. 

> Then walks closer to the edge.
> 
> “Shay!” Liam shouts.
> 
> Shay is struck by a gunshot in the back, never having seen it coming. He tumbles from the cliff—toward...

A large, flat rock buried in snow? A floating ice chunk?

Was Liam warning him to step away from the cliff with the artifact, but Louis decided not to take a chance and…sent…it…into…the…sea…him…self…? (Spoiler. I don’t care right now.) Or since it was going there no matter what, might as well ensure the death of the traitor who destroys it? Except he still hasn’t really done anything to harm the Brotherhood, and if he survives he could change his mind and rejoin? They could get down there and try to save him?

*sighs* Right, right, they’re evil, get with the program… *eye roll*

Let’s recap, shall we? The Assassins send Shay on a dangerous, far-away mission that Liam can’t accompany him on because he’s “unavailable.” I don’t think the writers have the slightest idea what he’s doing. He’s just… _unavailable_. Play the game, stop asking questions. This to prevent him from bearing witness and testifying on Shay’s behalf; why wouldn’t Achilles completely believe his esteemed, unflinchingly loyal Second-in-Command and say, “My bad”? Roll credits. (Liam always kicks up his feet, burying himself in a good book whilst Shay risks life and limb, anyway—nothing would’ve changed.)

Achilles tells Shay that if he has the artifacts, they’ll let him access Precursor temples. But he doesn’t need them to access the Precursor temple. All he needs are his Hidden Blade and free-climbing skills. Miraculously, he knows this, and remains unseen while he jumps around the ceiling like a monkey; lowers large, old, heavy chains; and raises the stone floor. During daylight hours, inside of a well-populated church. He’s able to lay hands on the Piece of Eden within…because whoever built the convent over the temple kindly did _not_ murder everyone in their vicinity by deciding it would make a great dining room conversation piece.

He doesn’t get crushed on the way out of the city. Or tripped. Or run into. Or lost. He doesn’t break anything during his several falls. His opinion of Achilles doesn’t change one iota from then until he returns to the Homestead roughly two months later. (Almost as if a scene break really is all that separates the events.) He launches straight into declaring Achilles the devil—thus turning the Assassins against him, and preventing him and the player from seeing them as anything but terrible, terrible people. Elizabeth is around so she can keep Shay from exacting revenge and Butterfly Effect-ing _Assassin’s Creed III_ right out of existence.

Seeking to prevent future massacres, Shay steals the Manuscript because I don’t even know. And the Assassins spaz because I don’t even know. And we’re expected to root for him despite not even the smallest precautionary measure having been taken to ensure he’d leave the manor alive with the damned thing. Moreover, the writers want us to condemn Achilles’ hot-headedness, dismissal of opposing viewpoints, and being quick to violence…but when Shay does it, he’s a hero; fight the power!

Every Assassin is willing to kill Shay although, to the best of their knowledge, Achilles might’ve suddenly gone crazy and ordered his execution because Shay flipped him off. Or said he’d had it and was leaving the Brotherhood. Not joining the Templars—leaving the Brotherhood. Fortunately for his sake, each and every last one is so bad at their job that he’s outnumbered 40-to-1 but they can’t overpower him.

By comparison, Louis risks compromising the Brotherhood a dozen times, yet he’s still highly respected. Absolved of his crimes. Which include NOT KILLING ANYBODY SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAPPENED TO NOT BE STANDING IN THE WRONG PLACE. (I bet he worked up a real heartfelt apology afterwards, too. “You’re fine, quit whining!”) Shay, though? Fuck that guy.

The Brotherhood expects Shay to return to their side and cooperate after they literally just put a hit out on him. When he refuses, surprise! They try to kill him again. And are later furious he’s working against them, calling him a traitor, ‘you killed your Brothers.’

He’s still alive because the Assassin who shot him has terrible aim…and he didn’t drown in the ocean…or die from impact with whatever he landed on…and no one bothered to double-check that he didn’t have a pulse. Or at least snag the ~~fancy doorstop~~ Manuscript from his coat. A.K.A. the thing they shot him for taking because it was so fucking “vital” to the FUTURE OF THE WORLD.

 **Achilles** : “Meh, probably not that big a deal, really…” *goes to bed*

 **Fate** : “Notice meeee!” [ ;~; ]

This writing is so bad it deserves an award.


	9. Don’t Think You Can Legally Call It a Plot

> A blue, empty memory corridor. Its wavy grid pattern appears and disappears, rearranging then reverting. 

_The screen flickers and warps_... _then goes black like someone shut off a TV_. 

> We hear Juhani’s alarmed voice. “What is this?” 

“ _What the hell did you do_?” _a young woman’s voice cries over a dark blue_ , _also_ - _malfunctioning loading screen_. 

> “A glitch in the memories,” Violet replies. 

“ _It’s_... _some kind of dormant virus_?!” 

“A glitch.” 

The corridor is a transitional link. Problems may indicate that accessing the next memory isn’t possible. Which means…end of session? Or they’ll skip to the first memory they _can_ view, and Juhani’s going to make everyone responsible for this security breach suffer before killing them? 

> Then, urgently: “There seems to be more data. Okay, numbskull,

Yes, do continue to insult me without provocation and remind me why I despise you.  

> I can’t pull you out of the chair right now. You’ll just have to see this through. 

Or you could insist ‘we’ take a break—since there’s no deadline, and the last thing you want is an employee contracting Bleeding Effect symptoms when that isn’t necessary. 

> This is bizarre.” She’s perplexed and fascinated at the same time. “These memories seem to take place some _twenty years_ after the one we just saw.” 

“There seems to be more data. Can’t pull them out yet. This is bizarre—these memories take place some _twenty years_ after the last.” 

Shay doesn’t become a Templar for twenty years? No—1776 is over a decade after the Colonial Brotherhood went kaput. I fail to see why the Templars would be more interested to watch the aftermath than the killing, so…they’ll stick to chronology and come back to this later. Right? 

> “Are you certain?” asks Juhani. 

There I go, using logic again…

“You’re certain?” 

> “Positive!” Violet insists. 

Do the memories involve Shay checking a calendar or newspaper? 

> “This means…Shay must have survived that fall!” 

“Positive! Shay survived!” 

 **Templar History Textbook** : “Alas, Shay Cormac was fated to live to fight another day.” 

> “If he is the man I believe him to be,” Juhani says reverently, “then he has…Keep going.”

“He did.”

Mass Assassin genocide = Abstergo facilities should have statues erected in Shay’s honor. Or a very flattering portrait. Kids born into the Order should be raised on bedtime stories about the Assassin Who Turned Good and Helped Defeat the Bad Guys.

‘Keep going’? Surely you mean, ‘Never mind those, what happens next?’ Why is whatever you’re hoping to find in Shay’s past a secret? Is skipping ahead this far…helpful at all? It must be—if there’s nothing important about his memories from the 1770s-80s, you’d be rather upset that she’s wasting time on them. 

> “The data is fragmented,” Violet says. “This memory is incomplete…Let me see what I can do. 

That period is _really important_ if Juhani’s letting her explore incomplete memories… 

> Listen up,” she then tells ‘us’. “We need to find out what Shay’s up to.

We do? Right this minute? Because I could easily go back to 1756…And who knows? Maybe if we keep synchronizing with Shay, these memories will get less incomplete! 

> This memory’s gonna’ look a little rough, but I’m like _ninety_ percent sure sequencing this memory won’t kill you.”

This memory’s gonna’ look a little rough, but I’m like _ninety_ percent sure sequencing it won’t kill you.” 

Add ‘memory’ to the list of words I never want to hear again.

Hrm. 90% chance ‘we’ won’t be killed for their impatience, or 99% later…Yeah, I totally get how the Templar point of view might be seen as the right o—I FUCKING _HATE_ THESE PEOPLE! 

> The…well… _that thing_ begins with Shay on a rooftop, in an unknown city.
> 
> “All right, numbskull,

Did anyone at Ubisoft honestly think this was funny or endearing? Did _anyone_ ** _anywhere_** think that?! 

> we don’t know where Shay _is_ or what he’s doing there. So keep your eyes and ears open.” 

“The data is fragmented. Let me see what I can do. All right, we don’t know where Shay _is_ or what he’s doing. Keep your eyes and ears open.” 

Yet you _do_ know that it’s “some twenty years” after 1756. 

> “I want to know the _reason_ Shay came to this place,” Juhani chimes in. 

Maybe he just lives here. Maybe we’d have more information if we saw what led up to this, and didn’t flip to the end of the book.  

> The cityscape never fully materializes.

Why build a full model when you can cut corners and say they’re missing data? 

> Shay is on a sharply slanted roof not unlike many in the colonies. While the roof in front of him is a hill, lined with windows like a colossal attic, and the one to his left has a smaller, almost pagoda-style curve. Through a gap at the corner where they meet, you can see a thick layer of white clouds above the fog-obscured shadow of a building which looks like a burnt-out husk but in fact just hasn’t been rendered by the Animus. 
> 
> “You heard the man!” Violet’s tone is severe. “Let’s move!” 

“ _You heard the man_ ,” _says the woman to Melanie_. 

“Let’s move!” 

> An objective: ‘Locate the Criminals.’ 

Shay’s upholding the law like a good little Templar. 

…Moving into _Rogue_ ’s second half, let’s pause and discuss that. (Trust me, it’ll come in handy.) 

We’ve memorized the ‘Good Assassin’ checklist: Follow the Creed. (Take nothing at face-value. Think before you act, and accept the consequences of said actions. Do no unnecessary harm. Just as you shield the people, let them shield you, and don’t call attention to yourself. Never betray or dishonor the Brotherhood, or jeopardize their work through any other means, intentional or not.) Dedicate your life to the cause. Maintain peace within yourself as well as the world. Stamp out tyranny and injustice where they show their face. Defend those who can’t defend themselves. Enable all to pursue greater knowledge and act as they wish, so long as they don’t harm others or infringe on _their_ freedom. Teach them that peace requires a small measure of order, and leaders to create and enforce laws—but that it’s unconscionable to follow a leader who hasn’t earned their trust, or obey a law if the reasons behind it are unsound. 

We’ve invested so much time worshipping rebellious stealth machine Assassins and loathing maniacal, baby-killing Templars…that trying to _think_ like a Templar feels akin to thinking like a different species. Perhaps an extraterrestrial one. “In a certain light, Francesco de’ Pazzi was a real upstanding guy,” said no one ever. So…when Ubisoft sat to orchestrate a hero-villain swap, they naturally ran into a dilemma: How to make Templars look good without controlling _Rogue_ ’s Assassins with the Idiot Ball of Eden. 

Reboot the franchise? We should be so lucky. 

Tell the corporate deadline where to shove it, and design a game with ten-or-more sequences that reminds us Templars not being dicks is supposed to be the _rule_ instead of the _exception_? Highlight the best of their philosophy and the worst of the Assassins’? 

…Yes, that’d require actual work.

…Yes, the game _will_ make a mint regardless. Anything you slap an _Assassin’s Creed_ label on instantly becomes gold. 

…Yes, expecting effort does sound rather futile when I put it that way.

…Uh huh. Mmhmm. I see. Idiot Ball of Eden it is.

If _Rogue_ were designed around philosophy instead of ‘the Colonial Assassins are mean, and Shay’s screwed up in the head, so he kills all Assassins,’ what would it show us? For starters: Why Templars got lazy about updating their team name after 1314, when they were ‘disbanded’ and no longer licking the church’s boots. Why it’s still significant for them. Why it was _ever_ significant, and not a front like Abstergo.

In Latin, ‘Abstergo’ means ‘[To wipe off/strip off/clean away/cleanse/expel/dispel/banish](http://www.latin-dictionary.org/abstergo).’ As in: Cleanse the world of problems caused by vice, greed, and prejudice. Expel ignorance. Banish conflict. A fresh slate. What does ‘Templar’ mean? It’s short for ‘The Order of the Temple of Solomon.’ As in: The Rite’s headquarters in Jerusalem from 1190/1191—1291. One of their many bases. At that time. But not anymore.

From 1119–1314 they were known to outsiders as The Knights Templar…but it should’ve made them roll their eyes in private. They should’ve had an entirely different title for themselves, one they wore like a badge of honor. Maybe that which was bestowed upon them by their founder at the dawn of history. In lieu of something— ** _anything_** —more appropriate, however…

…I have to keep calling them Templars. [ x_x ]

Fuck.

Just know that I’m not happy about it.

Next, one of Shay’s Templar buddies would say, “May the Father of Understanding guide us” after a get-together. He would respond: “Yeah, I’ll just stand over here and act like I know what that means.” Followed by an explanation, halle-FRICKIN’-lujah! _Assassin’s Creed III_ missed this boat when Charles didn’t ask Haytham; _Black Flag_ after Edward’s induction. But those were Assassin games. (More like, _Black Flag_ was a pirate game in the _Assassin’s Creed_  universe.) This celebrates the Templars. Surely third time’s the charm!

Spoiler Alert: Fourth time wasn’t the charm either. ‘Fourth time’ referring to _Unity_ , whose protagonist was _raised_ by a Templar, _madly in love_ with a Templar, and capable of reading Templars’ _minds_ …yet we’re 150% clueless as to what or who The Father of Understanding is.

* * *

 “ _The Father of Understanding marches with us tonight_!” ~ ** _Chretien Lafreniere_**

“ _I’m bleeding out_ [, _but_ ] _the Father of Understanding has seen fit to give us_ [...] _time to talk_. [...] _I_ [ _was_ ] _chosen to_ [...] _restore to the truth the Father of Understanding intended_.” ~ ** _Grand Master Francois_** - ** _Thomas Germain_**

“ _By the Father of Understanding’s Light_ , _let our work_ [...] _begin_.” ~ ** _Grand Master Laureano de Torres y Ayala_**

“ _May the Father of Understanding guide you_.” ~ _ **Warren Vidic**_

* * *

 My guess? Cain. I offer Exhibits A and B:

[A] It means a lack of female Templars interrupting meetings with: “Whoa, whoa, hold up a second…The fuck did you just say?” doesn’t necessarily call for a head explosion. Cain was in fact a guy. No arguing that.

[B] Templars liken the majority of humans to ‘sheep,’ whilst they are ‘shepherds’ protecting the big dumb flock. How enlightened must they consider the first person to believe as they do? The person who handed down their cause. Who founded the Order, placing utopia within reach. And here’s where Cain is upgraded from Legend to Templar God: Nearly his entire life until then would justify him thinking the _Brotherhood_ had the right idea.

* * *

Isu hadn’t cared one whit about humanity. That was the sticking point for him. It spoke to the kind of people they were that humans weren’t inferior to them by accident (lives 10x briefer, brains 30% smaller, etc.) Weren’t a failed experiment to boost their low population. They didn’t want equals. As a matter of fact, when making them obedient, they didn’t include an off-switch.

Then why create them in their image? Why, if they didn’t view themselves as being atop the evolutionary heap and thus the closest thing to perfection, and want to share that with their ‘children’? Because humans needed their muscle structure and bipedalism so they could use tools and do jobs isu once did but now assigned to them. They were just different enough, however, that their treatment could be ignored. ‘I’m not looking into a mirror, not really. We’re nothing alike.’ Even if they were genetically compatible (despite having double-helix DNA to the isus’ triple—someone tell me how that works.)

That was by design and beneficial to the isu, as well. Everything about them was. Their lone advantage (a quick breeding cycle)—for example—meant quick construction, manufacturing, etc.; easy replacement of dead workers; and the ability to safeguard isu genetics better than members of that race could. (A woman surviving for centuries, with a window of fertility to match, wouldn’t think procreation urgent. Not to mention humans are helpless at birth as a trade-off to their intelligence, so full isu children would be that on steroids.) His parents, Eve and Adam, were two such hybrids.

Instead of enjoying favor, their lot was their mothers’ (condemned to bondage)…save one key difference. And it _was_ an accident: The neurotransmitter which forbade most of their kind a choice in doing the isus’ bidding was dormant or nonexistent in them. They had free will. They watched their brothers and sisters being mistreated daily…until Eve convinced Adam to help her kill an overseer, steal their Apple, and run. They became the first Assassins and instigated the Human-Isu War.

10 years later, the isu surrendered—a decision which had nothing to do with conscience and everything to do with morale. At their height, they were so few that a single loss was devastating. Now? Extinction was imminent. Thanks to a comparatively pathetic species.

(No, this isn’t the official Ubisoft version. It’s the Better-Than-the-Official-Ubisoft-Version version.) 

* * *

Tyranny led to unnecessary suffering, lack of respect for life, and—eventually—violent revolution. Didn’t that mean freedom, not control, _had_ to be the best path to peace? Shouldn’t Cain and his younger brother Abel be proud to join the Brotherhood and prevent anyone from ever being enslaved again? Celebrate difference and promote individual freedom, so that everyone would be unique, no one was interchangeable?

Isu society was lawful, structured, and idyllic…but founded on tyranny. One he couldn’t justify. Humans were flawed, but so were isu. And inferior—but only because the isu decided it should be so; it was by no means the natural order. They weren’t worthless. As a hybrid, and the Templars’ eventual founder (who I can’t see wrestling with low self-esteem), Cain would believe he—and by extension the rest of humanity—deserved better.

He wouldn’t reject the Brotherhood’s teachings overnight. He’d listen to people who disagreed with them (‘choose whatever you think is true’), and find he couldn’t help siding with _those_ people: The Assassins saw the world as they wish it was (admittedly their fantasy was very pretty), not as it was. Logic dictated that a species engineered to obey couldn’t hope to govern itself as individuals. Even isu who sympathized and treated humans like family never set them free before the war ended, because they wouldn’t know what to do with freedom. As evidenced by some jockeying to rule over the rest, and most of the rest deciding _who_ to follow, instead of whether to follow anyone; _someone_ had to be in charge.

Eventually it would come to pass that the Assassins liberated humanity only to lead them over a cliff. It didn’t matter that they usually took care of people who harmed innocents and infringed on others’ rights. It shouldn’t be enough to get revenge after the fact; that wouldn’t help the victims. The focus should be on preventing incidents from happening in the first place.

But the Assassins weren’t completely wrong. The isu had to go. Had to be replaced with human leaders who would always put the species first—and Templars _owed_ Assassins (especially Cain’s parents) a debt of gratitude for paving the way.

It was also true there was good in humanity, so even though isu abused their power, ‘leader’ didn’t have to mean ‘tyrant’—99.9999% of humans may be selfish, but the strongest could overcome that nature and help others do so; they could rule benevolently.

And furthermore, humanity was worth protecting. [The Egyptian cross hieroglyphic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-ndj_\(hieroglyph\)) (which predates the Christian cross) meant to ‘protect, guard, avenge; advocate’. It’s possible Cain’s “mark,” a red cross (the Templars’ symbol), meant something similar.

The Brotherhood provided a supportive, positive environment and gave him every reason to hate their enemy. He could’ve easily been forgiven for being biased toward them, yet was able to see them objectively. To see them as his enemy, as well. That demonstrated uncommon wisdom.

Cain’s story could be told parallel to Shay’s. A young, idealistic Assassin rejecting their philosophy for the Templars’, betraying everyone they care about—because to do otherwise would be morally wrong—and taking their place as a hero to the Order? Come _on_ , this stuff writes itself! 

* * *

A-hem. So, now that that little tangent is over…Let’s begin another tangent!

(Last one. For now. Promise.)

I went on a bit as to why Templars can be seen as the Good Guys, and Assassins as misguided wolves the shepherds have to fend off. More detail couldn’t hurt, though. We’ll take it from the Templars’ own mouths:

**Why Assassins Need to Jump Off a Bridge (Into Burning Piles of Hay)**

Assassins are “pathetic” cowards lurking in shadow, “a cruel and terrible coven” of anarchists who “speak only the language of death,” “surrounded [and] outnumbered,” outmatched. They’ve “cast this […] morality play” that is the Assassin-Templar War with themselves as heroes and Templars as villains…though Templars believing the opposite should give them pause. Yet they hypocritically kill Templars because they disagree with their beliefs, meanwhile preaching ‘it is not our right to punish one for thinking what they do, no matter how much we disagree.’

When they have their way, “men [become] monsters [and barrel] towards [those in power], teeth out.” “If everything is permitted, no one is safe”—if all are allowed to do as they please, humanity will live in constant fear. Of course, that wouldn’t bother Assassins. They’d “rather destroy the fabric of society” than betray their principles. They’d allow people to do harmful things, before denying the harm was their fault.

They’re bleeding hearts who reject logic for emotion. They “put too much faith in” people—believe they change and learn from mistakes; think killing this or that person for the crimes of tyranny and injustice will “improve the lots of those left behind”, failing to recognize that tyranny and injustice are “symptoms [of] human weakness,” and until that’s addressed, the killing will never stop. “To use a rather tired analogy, corruption is no different than cancer: Cut out the tumors, but fail to treat the source, and...well, [you’re buying time at best](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/21st_century_conversations). There’s no true change to be had without comprehensive, systemic intervention. […] Education. _Re_ -education, to be more precise.”

They “don’t free the [people, but] rather damn them. And in the end, [they’ll have themselves] to blame.”

** On a Scale of 1–10, How Badly Do Templars Want to Leave This Planet? **

About a 7.

“[P]eople are good”; “[C]onfused […] lambs begging to be led.” They call out “for direction. [W]ant to know why they’re here, what they’re meant to do.” Templars are more than happy to tell them. They “[don’t] seek to oppress[.]” On the contrary, “[v]iolence and threats should always be a last resort.” Their duty is to “protect them at all costs, no matter their allegiance[,]” in “the face of conflict and aggression.” And “[i]f the deaths of a few [evil] people [can] save [thousands of lives], [it seems a small sacrifice](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/21st_century_conversations).”

All the same, people are “barbaric [and] stupid,” “cruel,” “petty,” “easily led toward wickedness, laziness[,] and corruption[.]” They break alliances as soon as they’re no longer convenient. Fight each other in the absence of a common enemy. Prefer to remain ignorant when the truth doesn’t jibe with their world view. They “would drown without a firm hand to lift them up, and keep them in line.” Templars must provide “good leaders to follow,” and teach the merits of order and discipline—for example, by making rationing and military service compulsory. “[P]eace can be maintained […] this way.”

**Why Humanity Should Roll Out The Red Carpet and Put Templars in Charge of Absolutely Everything**

Templars “serve a far nobler cause than mere profit,” offering guidance and “simple lives, free of worry” to the masses, building a better tomorrow. The more equitable among them won’t deny that some of their associates are quick to violence, or chase power for power’s sake. However, bad eggs can’t be allowed to spoil things for everyone else. (And by that, I mean they crack those eggs.)

“ _You stand accused of betraying the Templar Order and abandoning our principles in pursuit of personal gain_. _In consideration of your crime_ , _I hereby sentence you to death_.” ~ ** _Grand Master Haytham Kenway_**

They scoff at the Assassins’ argument that it’s wrong to compel obedience and everyone should be free. “And we should live forever on castles in the sky.” It doesn’t work that way. Freedom is “an invitation to chaos”; one person’s definition will be too much or not enough for another. “A brief taste of chaos will remind [humanity] why they crave obedience.” […] “It’s why they’re so quick to fall in line as soon as someone takes charge! They _want_ to be told what to do.”

“ _Ottoman_ , _Byzantine_ … _these are_ […] _labels_. _Costumes and facades_. _Beneath these trappings_ , _all Templars are part of the same family_.” ~ ** _Manuel Palaiologos_**

Every Rite is united by the dream of bringing to fruition a New World “defined by purpose and order”—an “era […] of truth and unity, governed by a singular wisdom,” in which “all will be equal” and “live side-by-side, in peace.”

* * *

Why on Earth would this person cobble together a bunch of quotes on Templar philosophy? What do they have to do with anything? I’m glad you asked, Readers I Hope Exist Somewhere. It’s so that when Shay joins the Templars, I have easy access to standards by which to judge if he’s acting Templarish.

Will he come to share their desire for the New World? Agree with them that the ends justify the means, and peace is obtained through control? Think the Assassins are naive and self-righteous, caring more about _feeeeeelings_ than peace, don’t know when to quit, and pose a danger to civilization because people are gullible, selfish idiots who need to be saved from themselves and can’t handle total freedom? As of this moment I’m _EXTREMELY_ inclined to say no. But this review has proven me wrong before. So let’s dive back into the—!

…Don’t think you can legally call it a plot…

Hm.

String of things that happen. Okay, we’ll roll with that. Let’s dive back into the string of things that happen, and find out!

Where were we? Ah, yes.  

> An objective: ‘Locate the Criminals.’ 

> More city appears as he runs on the wide, steep rooftops 

(like an Assassin, but Haytham did it too; if it works, it works), 

> down street after street. He comes upon his targets (three men) huddled in an alley.
> 
> “So,” says one of them in French, “did you find him?”

Once more, Shay has _impeccable_ timing.

“So?” 

> “Yes,” another responds. “Benjamin Franklin is at Notre-Dame. If we hurry up, we can catch him.”

“Benjamin Franklin is at Notre-Dame.”

Does Shay understand French? Maybe he heard enough from Louis and Not-Robert to get by.

This solves the “where Shay is” problem: Paris. Now we just need the “what he’s doing there.” Why is he hunting _these_ supposed criminals in particular? What do they want from Benjamin? 

> “Stop playing with yourselves!” the first man yells at his companions. “Let’s go!”
> 
> The objective changes to ‘Kill the Criminals; Save Benjamin Franklin.’

I’m…guessing that since he feels killing them is necessary, and that Benjamin is in danger, they’re…murderers? *shrug*

Or assass—No. Even _Rogue_ wouldn’t stoop so low as to have Assassins try to kill a civilian for no reason, just so players hate them more. Must be run-of-the-mill thieves or something. 

> “Benjamin Franklin,” Juhani pipes up. “ _That’s_ who Shay is after.”
> 
> “Franklin traveled to England and France, and that guy said Notre-Dame…” Violet thinks. “Shay must be in Paris!

Figured that out all by yourself, did you?  

> Time to show me what you got!”

Unless Shay has new weapons or skills as a Templar, she’s seen what he can do in a fight.  

> “Eliminate the threat!” Juhani orders. “Protect Franklin!”

Fine. I was _going_ to wait until they were distracted picking him off before I moved in for the kill, but we’ll do this the hard way! 

> Shay chases the criminals to a square, and kills two—the first as he strolls along, ‘minding his own business,’ and the second after he stops to chat with civilians like he’s blending into their group.

My oh _my_ , do their ugly orange-and-tan uniforms look sinkingly familiar… 

> Shay removes his Hidden Blade from the latter’s chest, then looks up when the third man shouts, “Over there! Get him!”

Is he siccing guards on Shay for murdering his friends? Is anyone close to Shay losing it because he murdered someone out in the open, in broad daylight? Is Shay even a teensy bit concerned about either of those things?

NOPE! [ :3 ]

> He scans his surroundings, oddly calm. To determine where the voice came from? Then sees someone across the square running; an old man yells

(almost comically), 

> “Heeeelp! Somebody heeeelp!”
> 
> The guy Shay missed found Benjamin, and more ‘criminals’, and they’re on his heels. 
> 
> Shay steals the dead man’s pistols.

Where are his?

> “He’s not getting away from us this time!” the third criminal says.

What did Benjamin _do_ to him; why does he want to kill him so badly?! Did he have some gruesome skeletons in his closet that modern Americans don’t know about? [ O-o ]

> Shay stands and takes off in pursuit. Fade to black.
> 
> “SHIT!” Violet exclaims.
> 
> “What happened?!” Juhani asks.
> 
> “That’s all the data we have,” she replies. “We can’t explore this memory further…for now.”

“That’s all we have.”

Luckily there was enough data to stop on a dramatic cliffhanger instead of Shay tailing the criminals to Notre-Dame, or them being cut off mid-sentence in the alley exchange. That would’ve been reaaaally annoying.  

> Then she muses, “Shay couldn’t have died then reappeared in France twenty years later.

“ _This means_ … _Shay must have survived that fall_!”

Well, an Animus subject couldn’t switch between two sets of memories at the drop of a hat (except in cases like Subject 15, of course), yet _Syndicate_ obviously exists. So…anything’s possible in this universe, really. And that gives me hope that Desmond will rise from the dead like the messianic Jesus figure Minerva said he could become. 

> We’re missing something.

There’s always the possibility he isn’t all human, and that’s how he survived.

Or time travel.

Or…Nope, that’s it, I’m out of ideas. 

> Shay’s memories are scattered in chunks throughout the Cloud; the servers are messed up from the virus, so we can’t access all of Shay’s life at once.”

Memory chunks are scattered throughout the Cloud; that virus messed up the servers, so we can’t access all of his life at once.”

Remember when the test subject’s subconscious would pitch a fit if they didn’t relive memories in order? Yeah, what ever happened to that? 

> ‘We’ see ‘our’ cubicle and Animus screen.
> 
> “You’ve hit a wall,” Violet says over the earpiece, “and I’m busy with something.

“You’ve hit a wall, and I’m busy.

What could you be doing that’s more important to Juhani—your boss (you haven’t forgotten your boss, have you?)—than piecing together Shay’s memories? Are you…actually improving Abstergo’s security?  

> Why don’t you go meet Otso Berg? You’ll find him squatting in one of the offices.”

Why don’t you go find out for me which office Otso Berg is squatting in?”

Because…?  

> That office is Melanie’s. Her _Black Flag_ one, before she moved up the ladder.
> 
> Juhani’s in front of a very wide, tall corkboard where photos of people from Shay’s era, Assassin and Templar—presumably from the recorded footage—are displayed. He looks over when the glass doors slide open for ‘us’. Then he opens his mouth, and as usual, something stupid tumbles out.
> 
> “Shay Cormac is an Assassin.

_Was_ an Assassin. He’s dead. And he didn’t die an Assassin.

[ O: ] Unless you’re not telling us something?! SPILL.

> But he is unlike the ones you have used for your entertainment products in the past.”

“Shay Cormac is unlike Assassins you’ve used for entertainment products in the past.” 

> He sticks a knife(?) into Not-Robert’s forehead.

Why couldn’t he _throw_ a knife or dart at it? [ :( ] That would’ve been cool to watch. 

> “I believe Shay may be the most important Assassin who ever lived.”

“He may be the most important one who ever lived.”

Could you elaborate? 

> “Your research will help me achieve something I have wanted for a very long time,” he says, taking a few steps toward ‘us’.

Why do I bother? 

> Then he stands there and folds his arms. “Shay’s story may have something…to offer you as well.”

Liiii—? *slaps self repeatedly* STOP. EXPECTING. AN ANSWER. STOP IT!  

> He turns and sits at the desk, in front of a computer.
> 
> “There’s another server we can access to get the next chunk of Shay’s memories,” Violet says over the earpiece.

“The next chunk is accessible.” 

> “Excellent,” says Juhani quietly.
> 
> “I’m going to need the numbskull back if we’re going to proceed.”

“I’ll need the numbskull if we’re to proceed.”

 **Juhani** : “Back? I never gave him anything to do. He just sort’ve showed up and stared at me.” 

> “Your next task is clear,” Juhani tells ‘us’.

Thanks for acknowledging that. Does this mean you won’t treat us like we’re brain-dead anymore? 

> “But please reflect on what we have discussed.” 

You fed us misinformation (“Shay Cormac is an Assassin”), told us something we already knew (he’s unlike other Assassins used for Abstergo Entertainment products; he’s _not_ an Assassin—he defected), and gave a totally unsupported opinion (“Shay may be the most important Assassin who ever lived”).

I gather you want us to reflect on the fact that you’re an idiot and the Order’s upper tier should raise its standards for new members. All right, I can do that. 

> Violet is by the elevator.
> 
> “I got tired of waiting for Melanie’s stupid repair crew,” she says. “So I got this piece of shit working well enough to get you to the lobby and back.

“I got tired of waiting, so I fixed this piece of shit well enough to get it to the lobby and back. 

Which, conveniently, is as far as we need it to go. The rest of the building may as well be empty, as far as this game’s concerned. 

> I’ll get your Animus prepped while you’re downstairs.

I’ll prep your Animus while you’re down there.

Silly Violet, Abstergo doesn’t have stairs. Stairs are for peasants.  

> Shit, I forgot, the server is behind a level 1 security lock.”

Shit, I forgot, the server’s behind a security lock!”

We’ll wait for you to get your ass down here and let us in, then. 

> “I have granted you Level One Security Clearance,” Juhani announces to ‘us’. “I trust there will be no further delays.”

“Level One clearance granted. I trust there will be no further delays.”

…Well, gee. That was nice of you. [ O-O ] 

> “Great!” Violet says happily. “Now you can get into the server room.

The Templars trust this woman to help them run the world? I wouldn’t trust her to operate a toaster. 

> Once you restore the servers, I’ll load the next set of Shay’s memories to your Animus.”

“Great!”

Why didn’t _you_ restore them, after you got the elevator down to the lobby? 

> We enter a room like the one where we listened to the Rashid speech.
> 
> “And you’re in!”

I am? *looks around* Holy shit, I am!  

> One lame ‘hacking’ exercise later, there’s an audio clip titled “Vidic’s New Recruit.”

I won’t transcribe what it says, because to truly appreciate its awfulness you need to hear it. But essentially Warren and a bunch of Abstergo agents break into Juhani’s home, in the middle of the night(?), to…ask…him to join up. What’s the point of recording that? 

> “Great job, numbskull!” Violet’s praise sounds genuine; ‘numbskull’ isn’t called for even according to her. “The data we have is pretty raw, but it’s enough to move forward. Get back up here, double time! It looks like restoring the servers also clears the virus from some of the other systems.”

“Data’s raw, but enough to move forward. Get back up here double time! It looks like restoring those servers cleared the virus from some other systems.”

H—? Never mind. 

> “You are making excellent progress,” Juhani says. “I am eager to see what Shay will show us next.”

That makes one of us.  

> “Level 1 clearance will also let you into some of the other parts of the building as well,” Violet says, “if you need to…stretch your legs in-between Animus sessions.”

NO! GET OUT! A higher security clearance lets us go into MORE AREAS OF THE BUILDING?! I didn’t know that! Juhani, why didn’t you mention that before?!

Please shut up. 

> At ‘our’ Animus station, we open on a black-and-white image of Shay, appearing passed out. The camera pans back to reveal something blue behind him, so he’s still on that…rock? Ice chunk?
> 
> Wait, someone’s crouching by him. 

_Not_ the rock/ice chunk?  

> They turn him onto his back and grab his arms, a second person his legs; they carry him onto a stretcher(?). Then take the stretcher somewhere. More people…fuss over him, tending his wounds(?)

It isn’t clear. Reflecting Shay’s semi-consciousness. Which I like.

Though how he’s conscious of anything after that fall is beyond me. 

> “If I said that was the craziest shit I’ve ever seen, would that be the most obvious statement ever?”

“If I said that was the craziest shit I’ve seen in my entire life, would it be the most obvious statement ever?”

Considering what’s been said so far, that was deep, Violet. 

> “Shay has been through a severely traumatic experience,” Juhani says.

*bursts out laughing* If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that was an intentional joke. 

> “Okay…” Violet says. “ _Second_ most obvious statement ever.”

Oh my God, it _was_! *applause* Bravo, writers! Bravo. 

> “Continue exploring his memories,” Juhani tells ‘us’.

Good, we don’t have to exit the Animus right after this memory corridor! 

> “The best is yet to come.”

I’m sure.


	10. Neon-Sign, Toddlers-Know-This-is-Wrong Immoral Activities

> [New York, June 1756]

Meanwhile in Chronology Land…  

> Aerial of civilians walking along paved streets lined with two-story buildings, in partial shade.

ORANGE KITTY SLEEPING ON A ROOF!

<3  

> The camera focuses on the upper windows of a building to the immediate left; Shay stares out of one not covered by blue shutters. His hand is pressed against the glass for support. His hair has grown out. And he’s half-naked: His chest, shoulders, and upper right arm are wrapped in blood-stained bandages.

Why are his wounds still bleeding? I’m the farthest thing from a critical injury expert, but unless Massachusetts snowstorms last into March or April, it’s been four-five months…

I don’t know. Whatever. 

> He’s in a dim, candle-lit room, between two desks cluttered with books and papers.
> 
> Abruptly, he turns, jolted by footsteps outside the room. This movement aggravates his ribs; he tentatively places a hand to the bandages on his chest and sucks in a sharp breath. Then grunts, doubling over, cringing.
> 
> An elderly couple enters.
> 
> “Huh,” says the man. “Good to see you’re feeling better.”

Maybe this is the first time he’s out of bed, interacting with people. 

> The woman sets a teacup on the desk nearest Shay.
> 
> “Thank you...Mister Finnegan, was it?” Shay replies, sincere.

He isn’t familiar with his hosts; might only know their surname from hearing others address them. 

> “Sweet Mother Mary, have we taken in the village idiot?” the man asks his wife in exasperation.

…The fuck?!?

I mean, yes. Yes, you have. But that’s beside the point! He’s messed up and barely knows you, but how dare he have the _nerve_ to be uncertain about who you are?! Give him credit, he got it right the first time! 

> “Barry!” scolds the woman. Then she says kindly to their guest, “Remember, Shay: I’m Cassidy, and this is—” She looks back and gestures for her husband to finish.

Shay’s spoken to them before. (Which must be how they know his name.) They’ve already introduced themselves, and depending on how often they’ve had to do so, Barry may have a point; I can see myself calling him an idiot too, if we’d been party to their earlier conversation(s).

Though like I said, he’s messed up. And might not be good with names of people he doesn’t know very well. (Just a hypothesis.)

> Barry all but rolls his eyes. “Barry!”
> 
> Cassidy pauses, then looks at the ceiling and gives a short, breathy chuckle—‘I can’t believe I said that.’

Glad Ubisoft wasn’t oblivious. 

> Then she smiles at Shay. “You’ve been ill for weeks.”

This scene was made possible in part by Gratuitous Exposition. And by contributions from writers who didn’t think it would’ve worked a lot better had Shay never formally met these people before. Thank You.

Also, he didn’t ask why he’s here. No need for a reminder that he hasn’t been a hundred percent lately. 

> “I hate to have been a burden,” Shay says guiltily.
> 
> Cassidy smooths Shay’s bedspread. “See? He’s a civilized fella’.”
> 
> “Aye,” Barry says, peeved. “For a clumsy deckhand. Probably fell off his ship half-drunk.”
> 
> Cassidy turns and glares. “BARRY!” she warns him.
> 
> Shay can’t be thrilled about his attitude either, but he waves her off. “He’s right.”

Can’t tell them what happened. Probably wouldn’t believe him if he did. 

> All three hear a loud squeak. A door opening?
> 
> Barry frowns, and he and Cassidy leave. Shay decides it’s none of his business and goes to pick up the teacup—but before he reaches it, glass shatters in another room.
> 
> “What do you all want?” Barry demands, preceding a scream from Cassidy.
> 
> Shay backs away from the desk, alarmed.
> 
> “What’s going on?” he calls, too quiet for notice, as he hobbles toward the door as fast as he can—again worsening his injuries and grunting in pain. 
> 
> ‘Investigate the Noise’

What does he think he can do in this state?  

> “You wretch!” Cassidy shouts, as Shay makes his way along the second-floor hall.
> 
> “Shut up, woman,” a man replies cruelly.
> 
> “Ow!”
> 
> “Leave her alone!”

Barry is supposed to sound furious, but instead he’s annoyed, like when Shay forgot his name. 

> Then the man does something to Barry, because he cries out. “Argh!”
> 
> Shay limps down a double-wide staircase into the main room. He finds two strangers

“you all”?  

> dressed in…

What a surprise. 

> ugly orange-and-tan uniforms. They face him and ready for a fight.

So these categorically-indubitably-not-Assassins terrorize people in their fifties (at least), and want to beat up a guy who can barely walk.

And dudes—you’re telling Cassidy to shut up because she’s a woman? There are _women_ in your ‘gang.’ Carrying knives.  

> “Now what are _you_ going on about?” Shay asks them crossly.

“What are you going on about?” 

> “Stay out of this, you _fool_!” says one.

“Stay out of this, _fool_!” 

> “Well,” Shay says, “I was going to, but…now you’ve made things personal.”

“Well, I was going to, but…you’ve made things personal.”

He can’t handle being called a fool. Truth hurts, buddy. 

> Then the Finnegans witness a miracle: Shay kicks and swings punches at the invaders, blocks their hits, and in general is no longer in agony.
> 
> “We need to cut him off!” a man shouts. “Now!”

Heaven forbid these be civilians preying on the weak, showing us Assassins have too much faith in people. And that Shay is unable to do anything but watch, and have extra motivation to find and kill them later. 

> Shay easily wins.
> 
> “Aaarrgghh!” Barry yells in rage, chasing them out of the house. “And don’t come back!” He looks at Shay, who’s holding his ribs again.

You are so full of shit. 

> “Thank you, Shay.” He breathes heavily, filled with adrenaline. 

“Thank you.” 

> Then to both Shay and Cassidy: “In me younger days, I could have taken them—” He raises a fist. “One-handed!”
> 
> He wanders past them, aimless.
> 
> “Why were these men bothering you?” Shay asks.

“Why did they bother you?” 

> “Oh, the usual!” Barry rants, waving a dismissive hand. “They feel they’re owed money because they’re _not_ harming citizens. 

“Oh, the usual! ‘They’re owed money for _not_ harming citizens.’

Uh...then the fuck was that, over?

Option 1 = That excuse is horseshit, because they clearly _are_ harming people. Hence the fistfights and yelling and screaming in pain. And they’re pathetic excuses for human beings who are irredeemable from every angle—who _know_ it’s horseshit and don’t care. What is anyone going to do?

Option 2 = There is no Option 2.

UGH, this makes me so mad. And not the way it’s supposed to! I’m supposed to hate them and want justice for the poor, defenseless, kindly old people who took Shay in; cheer him on and think, gosh, what a brave hero! The Assassins allowed this to happen, they must be stopped!

But I think (and all attempts at not giving spoilers will now be tossed out a window)—

Loyal fans paid $60 for what was advertised as the experience of being on the other side of the conflict. They got a protagonist who rarely fights normal, We’re-Humanity’s-Saviors-and-Templars-are-Despicable Assassins. When he does, they’re involved in neon-sign, Toddlers-Know-This-is-Wrong immoral activities.

He left the one Brotherhood so underhanded that they trained thugs to be Assassins in all but name, or trained Assassins who acted like thugs and had no moral conscience, not a one. Creed? What’s a “creed”? I’mma’ call attention to myself and give the Brotherhood a bad reputation by punching the daylights out of those innocents over there.

 **Colonial Brotherhood** : “A’ight, that’s cool.”

Who would betray them and ‘[follow their] own creed’—except absolutely everybody? You’re such a rebel, Shay. And I guess I’m meant to believe you’re so…mind-bogglingly ignorant…that throughout the “seven-plus” years you were an Assassin, you never noticed their behavior. The only alternative is that they started pulling this shit after you left Because Plot.

Huh. I honestly can’t decide which is more likely. 

> Mark my words, those gangs are going to be the downfall of this city.”

Mark my words, those gangs will be this city’s downfall.”

Sure, _Rogue_. Keep insisting they’re just ‘gangs’ of ‘criminals.’ Criminals who look exactly like the people doing Leaps of Faith at the Homestead, and who will be air-assassinating Shay with Hidden Blades, popping out of haystacks and brush, and free-climbing all over the damn place.

Tell us how the only Assassins lurking in those ‘gang headquarters’ are the leaders.

Everyone is fooled. 

> “Wait here,” Cassidy tells Shay. “I have something for ya’.”

An eighteenth-century painkiller? Because after what he just did, he should be in a fetal position. 

> After she wanders off, Shay looks questioningly at Barry—‘you know what she’s talking about?’
> 
> He shrugs.
> 
> Shay returns his attention to the bandages, touching his ribs. And

out of nowhere, to make him sympathetic (a failed effort because the least he could do is apologize for his rudeness, but he never will),

> Barry is concerned and does likewise.
> 
> Cassidy comes back and offers Shay a stack of folded clothes. “It won’t do you any good walking around starkers,” she says—while Barry disappears off-screen this time. “Here, try these on. They were our son’s.”
> 
> “I suppose,” Barry says from across the room, “if you’re looking for trouble” — He returns and places a collection of weapons wrapped in a blanket on top of the clothing stack — “you’ll be needing these.”

“I suppose, if you’re looking for trouble, you’ll need these.”

 **Shay** : “Whoa, slow down there! Jesus! Are you trying to kick me out?”

 **Cassidy** : “Judging by the way you dispatched those goons, I’d say you’re all fixed up!” 

> Shay looks between them, not really knowing how to express his gratitude beyond: “Thank you…”
> 
> He carries both gifts somewhere, and Barry and Cassidy put their arms around one another and move toward the warmth of the roaring fireplace.

It’s an abrupt, peaceful end to a very…odd…scene. A scene so easily salvageable that it’s frustrating.

Let’s hypothetically forgive that the Colonial Brotherhood is a sack of pricks. Achilles’ stellar recruitment efforts mean they outnumber the Templars and rule the colonies; they let that power go to their heads, forgetting why they wanted it. All they know is they have to eat, but aren’t on salary. Problem.

Solution? Steal what they need, take shelter in random houses, and say no one will get hurt if they comply and don’t involve the authorities. “We’re protecting you—you owe us.” (Markedly different than “We’re not hurting you—you owe us.”)

Then…and this is where it gets crazy… _they keep their word_. Citizens have two choices: Be physically safe but get robbed/forced to put up with squatters, or fight back and risk injury or (occasionally) death. The people live in fear, and it’s because of something Assassins might feasibly do. Something they could think is okay. 

And Shay knows. But the Brotherhood is his family; without them, he has nothing. So he stays at the Homestead as much as possible, to avoid seeing it.

Once he’s left them, however, it can’t be ignored. Especially after Cassidy tries to persuade Barry to leave the Assassins alone, but his temper gets him in a world of hurt, and Shay can’t intervene—because what if they recognize him? He’s in no position to defend himself. He feels like a coward, hiding upstairs, though any other course of action would likely not end well.

He may have no emotional attachment to Barry, but Cassidy _does_ , and she’s nice enough. Plus nobody deserves to be assaulted in their home when they’re minding their own business. He vows to find these Assassins and stop the practice, even if the only way to show them he’s serious is to destroy their entire base of operations in New York.

Enough of that, I’m depressing myself. 

> They’re still reaching to the flames when Shay again descends the stairs (normally, fully upright, his expression betraying no discomfort). Clad in a layered black leather overcoat, and his once-straggly hair in a neat, short ponytail.

“He had a hood in the trailer,” fans complain. But its absence makes more sense.

(Pardon while I savor this.)

Assassins are ghosts, shadows, ‘a blade in the crowd.’ Even if you watch them kill someone, you probably won’t see their face and identify them before they disappear; they could be anyone. And your terror at knowing that is what they count on. Why? They don’t have an army. Each compromised Assassin makes the Brotherhood that much less powerful.

Templars have enough agents for _several_ armies; each one lost is replaced five times over. And they live more _in_ society than out. They build it. They’re military, doctors, educators, judges, politicians, scientists—their lives are their cover stories. Most of their work is behind the scenes.

Who’s the public to believe—them, or a nutjob saying they’re orchestrating a grand scheme to control the world? The people like to think they have say over their lives…so they’ll believe what they see. ‘There is no _conspiracy_. Things just happen.’ And that willful ignorance is what Templars count on—so if that nutjob later has an unfortunate accident, anyone who can connect the dots will refuse.

You could argue if any Templar needed a hood, it’d be Assassin hunters like Juhani and Shay—to trick Assassins into mistaking them for allies, and thereby catch them off-guard. My rebuttal: What are the odds that the Finnegans’ son was an Assassin hunter? 

> Cassidy gasps,

*nods slowly* Yes, I too am astounded that he dressed himself when an hour prior to this or less, he couldn’t make any sudden movements without mentally reciting every curse word known to humankind.  

> and both step back and straighten.
> 
> Shay spreads his arms—‘What do you think?’
> 
> Cassidy beams. “Don’t you look a right gentleman?”
> 
> Shay relaxes, smiling. A faint Templar cross blends into the light brown belt across his chest.

Do they know why their son died? Actually, he might have just fallen ill, or drowned, or been murdered during a fight at a tavern. So: Do they know about the war? 

> “Cass!” Barry hisses.

What? She wasn’t flirting, for fuck’s sake. 

> Shay frowns a little and tilts his head to the side, as something occurs to him. He approaches.
> 
> “Did…I…have a book with me?”

“Did…I…have a book?”

You were coherent enough to speak to them before today, and this is the first you think to ask? “Hi, I’m Shay. What’s your name? Wait, I don’t remember getting here; wh—oh, right, I was shot and almost died. Because….Say, there didn’t happen to be a book in those robes you took off me and did who-knows-what with, did there? About yea big, brown, leather, complete garbage?”

 **Shay** : “Meh, probably not that big a deal, really…” *goes to bed* 

> “Hmm…” Barry shakes his head. “Just those peculiar weapons.”

What’s so peculiar about th—ohh, Hidden Blades…riiight…Why didn’t the Templar who found him chuck those into the ocean/keep them as trophies? Or at least until Shay proved his loyalty?

Well, self, I do believe I can answer that! It’s not an _Assassin’s Creed_ game if you can’t use Hidden Blades—even when you’re not playing an Assassin. 

> He points at Shay’s wrist; Shay looks down at it—then from him to Cassidy.
> 
> “Thank you both,” he says. “If you’ll excuse me…”
> 
> He makes an arm gesture and walks toward…the front door.

I can’t stress this enough: _**Before**_ he exerted himself fighting two opponents at once, he was held together with duct tape. **_Afterwards_** , he’s going on a stroll. Sheesh, I feel _awful_! I really misjudged Ubisoft here. The Assassins have been glorified as saints all along: Even when they make people’s lives miserable, they help them.

By comparison you’ve got the Templars, who…Sure, they’ll save your life, but they won’t magically heal your broken ribs before up and abandoning you! Bastards. 

> He exhales heavily—once—and brings a hand to his chest for a split second, as if pained.

Quit the act. No one’s buying it. 

> “The Manuscript is at the bottom of the Atlantic,” he mutters to himself.

Oh, if only…

If only it fell out of his damn coat in the hundred-or-so-foot drop, and that was the last we saw of it…

Life isn’t fair. 

> Memory corridor. Air rifle on his back that wasn’t there in the cinematic. Blackness. Then—
> 
> Dramatic music! ‘Catch the Fleeing Gang Member’
> 
> Shay’s outside, just past the door (and he has that rifle), and a gang member

*cough*  

> is across the road. Along with various other people standing around talking, working, and what-have-you.
> 
> “You again!” the man says contempuously, drawing a hand across his neck in the traditional ‘You’re toast’ sign. “You’ll regret this!”
> 
> He turns and throws a smoke bomb on the ground to cover his escape.

This doesn’t remind me of anything. /lies 

> “The Finnegans are dead, you hear me? Dead!”
> 
> Then he leaps rapidly between two walls, up to the roof of the nearest building.

What—no, ‘We will have our revenge’? ‘We underestimated you, but we won’t make that mistake again’? ‘Once you’re out of the way, no one can stop us’? I’m sure that I’m forgetting a few classics here. 

> Shay runs after him.

-_- _Runs_. 

> And jumps up the same walls, and across gaps onto other roofs.

*sigh* 

> “Putting your nose in other people’s business ain’t nice!” the man yells back.
> 
> As the chase goes on, he says, “You picked the wrong side!”

‘You should have joined us when you had the chance’—That’s another one, thanks! [ c: ]

> “You’ll regret this!

‘You don’t know who you’re messing with!’

You already said that. Less talking, more running. 

> And so will the Finnegans!”

Yes, you made it _very clear_ they’ll face consequences. They’re innocent and don’t deserve the consequences, and you’re going to hang them over a vat of acid so they can listen to you monologue. We get it. 

> Shay catches the…assailant, tackling him onto the roof they’re currently on. Then pulls him to his feet and holds him in place. “What have you and your friends got against the Finnegans?”

‘ **Gang Member** ’: “Well…Their son was a Templar. They’re probably Templars too, right?”  

> “I—I got no gripe!” the man insists fearfully.

Which is why you were malicious when you repeatedly mentioned them, instead of cautionary. 

> “My _boss_ sent me over!”
> 
> “Ah?” Shay says. ‘Is that so?’ “And where is he set up?”

Taking into account the number of female Assassins, Shay can be reasonably confident in this assumption. But—‘One of my men’? ‘My sources in New York’? The uniforms, smoke bomb, free-running? None of that rings a tiny, squeaky bell somewhere in the deep dark recesses of his mind?

 **Shay** : “What mind?”

Stupid question, moving on. 

> “Y-you can’t miss it!” the man assures him. “There’s always black smoke rising from the courtyard of that building!”

“Y-you can’t miss it! Black smoke always rises from the courtyard!”

 **Shay** : *looks around* “I see two columns of black smoke. You realize a lot of people in this city have chimneys?”

‘ **Gang Member** ’: “The place with the bright yellow flag on a pole.”

 **Shay** : *sees it* “Ahhh. God, what an eyesore.”

‘ **Gang Member** ’: *mutters* “Tell me about it…”

You never saw a ‘gang headquarters’ in all those years? Even though they’re freakin’ _everywhere_ —like Albany, for example? 

> A notice pauses the game. ‘Gang Leader: Gang leaders will hide and try to ambush you, but you can counter their attacks. Listen for whispers, which will reveal the presence of a captain hiding nearby. Use Eagle Vision to locate them using the danger compass. The compass will fill up as you get closer to your target.’

This is cool: A mechanic that stems not from skills learned by joining either side, but his unique circumstances. Shay can _sense_ where the Assassins are (their general direction, at least), because he understands how they operate; he listens for them and asks himself, ‘Where would _I_ be in this situation?’

Developers could’ve done more with it: The compass could be weak to start out—he essentially has to be right on top of them before noticing—and occasionally misleading; he might think they’re in brush, for example, when in reality they’re perched above him. But it’d gain range and accuracy the more Assassins he finds.

He could learn when to look up. Or turn around. (Not that _Rogue_!Assassins perform sneak attacks. But if they did!) And the compass could reflect that with an arrow, flashing, etc. He could save a Templar—or Assassin target of some sort—by warning them, or pulling them out of the way.

* * *

 “[ _P_ ] _art of the reason_ [Rogue  _is short_ ] _is_ [...] _the time we had_ [...] _to develop the story_. [ _We had to cut scenes and_ ] _missions_ [, _and_ ] _work pretty quickly_.” ~ ** _[Richard Farrese](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aNOdYDnogk)_**

“[ _I_ ] _n Ubisoft_ , [ _e_ ] _very time we approach a major game_ — _just like_ [R]ogue— _we_ [ _absolutely invest_ ] _the_ [...] _time needed in order to make sure_ [ _it’s_ ] _a AAA-quality product_. _We go through a full development cycle_ , [ _composed_ ] _of_ [...] _conception_ [,] _pre_ - _production_ [, _and_ ] _full production_ [ _phases_ ]. _And_ [...] _for every game_ , _we invest enough time in all of these stages to_ [ _ensure_ ] _the game comes out with the necessary level of quality which all players expect_. _This is absolutely the case with_  Rogue,  _as well_. [ _I_ ] _want to reassure everybody that we_ [...] _invested all the time needed_ [...] _to guarantee_ [...] [Rogue  _is really a kickass game_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QghXzjY-c4&list=PL411EB3D2E92ACC56&index=8).” ~ ** _Ivan Balabanov_**

* * *

 Well? Which is it?

> ‘Take Over the Gang Headquarters’

What’s your battle plan, Shay? Kill their leader and cut down their flag. Fair enough, but what if… _what if_ they institute the Second-in-Command as their new leader, and raise a new flag?

Kill their leader and cut down their flag.

Yeah, all right, go for it. Have fun. 

> He kills the leader.

They’re distinguished by more traditional robes, including a hood, but much of their clothing is bright orange. Note that if they detect him, they won’t hide, though stealth is an Assassin’s greatest weapon. Nor will they whistle or do anything to signal their comrades to rain hell upon him, though for once they greatly outnumber their enemy. They’ll…rush him with a Hidden Blade. [ O_O ] Oh fuck! The Assassins’ signature weapon. So lethal when it hits vital organs or blood vessels that often the target barely makes a sound; flick, stab, vanish. Shay’s not gonna’ get up after this o—

It almost _never kills him_. His health is more than halved, but regenerates, though he must be bleeding quite a lot. Internally if nothing else. Especially if he exacerbates the wound by chasing the Assassin—who always, always, _ALWAYS_ throws a smoke bomb and-or flees like a wuss. Doesn’t try to fix the You’re-Breathing, Quit-That problem by stabbing him again, or occasionally stand their ground and fight.

It gets real old, real fast.

And the sad part—or rather, it _would_ be sad if it weren’t so goddamn infuriating—is that just about every Assassin in the game does this. With the possible exception of Louis. I don’t get it. The Assassins in _Black Flag_ didn’t, and _Rogue_ was built on top of it. _The hell was wrong with what they had before_?! 

> Climbs the pole, cuts down the flag with his sword, and...throws it in a bonfire they had for some reason. _Finito_.

Then the remaining ‘gang members’ mob him. I’m kidding, they act like nothing happened.  

> He walks to a dead ‘gang member’ lying close by and liberates his gas mask. _That’ll help with smoke_!
> 
> As he’s working it into his apparel, a man wearing a tricorne, powdered white wig, and expensive clothing under a dark overcoat walks up behind him. Shay turns, and his eyes narrow; he takes hold of his pistol, but doesn’t remove it from his belt. He looks like military. Military—as he’s learned from his time with the Assassins—means trouble.
> 
> The man circles slowly. Shay follows, never taking his eyes off him.
> 
> “Be at ease, Master Cormac,” the man says genially. “We are friends. The Finnegans were worried you might take matters into your own hands.

**George** : “And as you’re still recovering from—

(Couldn’t help myself.)

In most cases the Templars can’t allow vigilante justice; it disrupts law and order, promotes chaos. Butttt when killing Assassins is involved…they’ll look the other way. 

> I am Colonel George Monro.”
> 
> “Colonel,” Shay acknowledges him warily, half-turned as if to run or present a smaller target.
> 
> “I” —George motions to the person whose mask Shay looted— “came to help, but…I see I am late.

Mmhmm, you coincidentally arrived thirty seconds after it was over. Like you followed him and watched. You’re the Templar version of Liam, aren’t you?

No, wait, that spot’s taken by Christopher Gist. Templar Elizabeth? There aren’t any women in the Colonial Rite, so…we’ll have to make do.

> Thank you for dealing with these…foul criminals.

**Shay** : “‘Assassins.’ It’s okay. You can say it.”  

> They were a blight on New York.”

Setting aside ten minutes to handle them was out of the question, though.

When _Rogue_ was discussed and shared in screenshots back in mid-2014, I worried that its Assassin NPCs—just like _Black Flag_ ’s—would be pathetically easy to defeat. I take no pleasure in being right. 

> “What do _you_ care?” Shay is tense. Everything about his body language and stare suggests hostility. “You redcoats are nothing but landlords. The townsfolk here are grinding away, trying to make a living.”

He’d know, of course—born and raised here.

“What do _you_ care? The townsfolk grind away, trying to make a living. You redcoats are nothing but landlords.” 

> “I cannot blame you for having that impression,” George replies calmly, nodding. “Some of my comrades have been…less than helpful. But I take a different approach.”
> 
> “And what is that?” inquires Shay, skeptical.
> 
> “I care,” says George. ‘Simple.’ “I want to see these colonists safe and prosperous.”

This guy is one of _Rogue_ ’s highlights: An old guard member who might not walk the walk (at least…not that we ever see), but at least pays lip service to the Order’s virtues. He’s about as close as Ubisoft gets to legitimately trying to convince players to question their loyalty. 

> “Noble words.”

And those words coming from someone who did jack to save them.

Not that they _needed_ saving. The ‘gang’ had weapons, but if half of New York’s citizens became sick of waiting for the Army to get off their asses, and stormed the headquarters themselves….

So everybody’s at fault here.

> George motions, inviting Shay to come with him. “Perhaps _actions_ will convince you otherwise, Master Cormac.” He leads him to the chest where the ‘gang’ kept their money.

And…how do you know where that is, exactly? I’m on to your little conspiracy.

“Perhaps _actions_ will convince you.”  

> “Here,” he says. “Reclaim what they have stolen.”

Do you have a list of everyone it belongs to, and you’re planning on the two of you going door-to-door?  

> Shay isn’t required to do anything, though. Except stand still until George resumes talking—“Now let us use some of that money for the good of the city.”

“Here. Reclaim what they stole. Now let us use it for the good of the city.”

All 100 pounds of it. Really, Colonial Assassins, are you that bad at thievery? Ezio can’t even look at you.

George thinking he has more right to the money than the people it was taken from is a dick move, but consistent with Templar ideology: ‘They’ll just waste it or be robbed again. _I_ , on the other hand—!’

Shay? As a champion of the common people, care to share your thoughts on the subject? 

> “I realize you have no reason to trust me, Master Cormac,” says George.

“I realize you have no reason to trust me.”

Here it comes—! 

> “You said you were a _friend_ of the Finnegans’,” Shay responds.

Damn it, man, that was your cue!

“ _Be at ease_ , _Master Cormac_. _We are friends_. _The Finnegans were worried you might take matters into your own hands_. [...]  _I came to help_.” Do you need your ears cleaned?  

> “I am.

But you…you’re not going to point out that—?

 **George** : _Village idiot_. _Son of a bitch_ , _Finnegan was right_. _Oh well_ , _just go with it_. 

> Their late son…worked for me. You are much like him.”
> 
> “How so?” Shay asks.

**George** : “You’re the same height, and his clothes fit you like they were tailored.” 

> “He cared. And he wanted to do good by the people. We shared a dream, he and I—that of making the world a better place. Mere survival is not enough. Full bellies, warm clothing…Freedom from want is the greatest freedom of all.”

“He wanted to do good by the people and make the world a better place. Survival isn’t enough. Full bellies, warm clothing…Freedom from want is the only freedom that counts for anything.”

‘And given the right opportunity, we will provide.’ See what I mean? Lip service, ideology, highlight? 

> “It almost sounds like you have good will toward the people you govern,” Shay says.

**George** : “What was your first clue?”  

> “I do not ‘govern’, Master Cormac. I merely assist.”

“I do not ‘govern.’ I merely assist.”

Shay might still be thinking like an Assassin at this point, but fear not: George is here to teach him what it truly means to be a Templar! 

> After going through alleys and down a street, they reach a boarded-up church.
> 
> “See this neglected edifice, Master Cormac?

**Shay** : *groans* “Could you please stop calling me that?!”

“See this neglected edifice?

 **George** : “Yeah, we did that so the people would hopefully wake up and stop believing in complete nonsense. Because we care.”

Edifice, edifice…Dictionary, do your thing. ‘A building, especially a large, imposing one.’

*hugs dictionary* [ c: ] 

> _We_ can make it better.

**Shay** : “By repairing it?”

 **George** : “By tearing it the fuck down. Give me a hammer.”  

> Urban renewal is a new science, but one that has already proven effective on the Continent.

And every other continent. See something broken, fix it. Can’t fix it, get rid of it and start over. How is that a science? 

> I have arranged for resources.

Literally the only reason Templars are better than Assassins in this scenario. They can do the work faster. And if George already has all the necessary resources, what does he need the money for? 

> Use them to improve that building.” 

So yeah. Despite that 99% of Templars are atheists who know religion is a con that starts wars and promotes ignorance and intolerance…George is advocating to repair a _church_ of all places.

DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, SHAY! HE SUCKS AT BEING A TEMPLAR!  

> Shay renovates the church.

Damn it, Shay. [ T_T ] 

> “What fine work!” exclaims a random woman.
> 
> “The neighborhood will be _much_ better _now_ ,” a man agrees.

**Templars** : [ O-O ] … [ >-> ] … *mutter under their breath*  

> “I suspect New York will prosper under your watch, Master Cormac,” George tells Shay. “You can do great things for this city and its citizens.

“I suspect you’ll do great things for New York and its citizens.

 **Shay** : “‘Cept those families who won’t eat tonight because I gave their food allowance to a carpenter.”

 **George** : “Relax, they probably don’t even miss it.” 

> After all, a man needs purpose.

After all, everyone needs purpose.

Inclusionary language for the win.  

> Farewell for now, Master Cormac.”

**Shay** : *through clenched teeth* “God… _damn_ it…”

Farewell for now.” 

> The memory ends.

_THEY RUSHED THIS TO SEGUE WITH_ UNITY! _Fucking_ **UNITY**! 

How much stronger would these scenes be if we encountered the Finnegans’ son—whom I’ll call Alby— _before_ Shay’s face-heel turn (or heel-face turn, depending on your preference)? If Shay killed him, or watched someone else in the Brotherhood do so, solely because he was a Templar? And perhaps congratulated that Assassin, or been congratulated? Then slowly he realized that this Templar’s parents took him in without knowing, and Alby wasn’t so evil after all. They’re grieving their only child’s loss and he murdered him, or as good as. _He_ did that.

He’d have to take a good, hard look at himself in the mirror for something he could’ve prevented: Not just Alby’s death, but also Lawrence’s, Samuel’s, and James’. His gut told him they didn’t need to die, but he never challenged the other Assassins’ assertion that they did—except after the deed was carried out, when it no longer mattered. Every time he killed an Assassin, he’d be taking out his frustrations with himself on them—giving a better excuse why he went after those who hadn’t done anything to him, like Adéwalé.

What if Shay went to the Assassins’ headquarters, and one of them recognized him from the Homestead and he was surrounded with no escape? Until most of the Assassins fled when George and other people (secretly Templars) came to his rescue—and George said the Army did its best to keep them under control, but a new base popped up every time like cockroaches? And this remained the case until Shay “Exterminator” Cormac became known as the best the Templars had ever seen? At least in part because he used the Assassins’ tactics against them?

But _noooo_. Can’t keep the fans waiting to find out who killed Arno’s dad.

Just because Arno doesn’t give a shit doesn’t mean _they_ shouldn’t.


	11. Prisoner-Killing Time!

I was wrong. Wrong and unfair. And I’m serious this time.

(No, really—I am.)

Not _thoroughly_ wrong, mind you. _Rogue_!Assassins (R!As) are insufferable in the main storyline. But when not puppeted around, they display a little ingenuity and fighting spirit.

 **Example #1** : Hopping roofs in New York on the way to an Assassin Interception (I’ll talk about those later), I came upon an alley with several entry points. The compass said Shay was sitting on an Assassin, so I looked for them, thrice. Nada.

The millisecond Shay touched _ground_ in that alley, *snap* an Assassin ran up and stabbed him in the back. May as well have materialized from nothing. I was impressed.

 **Example #2** : As Shay ran down the middle of a crowded street, an Assassin emerged from the throng and charged him. I didn’t expect it at all. No idea they could do that.

 **Example #3** : If Shay enters striking distance after being stabbed, the Assassin turns and attacks again. If he follows but hangs back, they disappear after running c. thirty seconds-a minute. If he doesn’t follow, they usually leave like I said.

As for their lethality, four-plus can prove a challenge in a fight. And if Shay’s missing at least 2-3 health bars when struck with a Hidden Blade, he’ll die…which would be somewhat worrisome, except that his health regenerates so fast it rarely is.

…On the downside, they spout one-liners such as “I got you, boy!” (over and over and over); “I’m so glad I’ll be the last thing you’ll see!” (Then she jumped off the roof and Shay went elsewhere); “Mind your head, boy!” (No comment); and “Death from above!” (That’s trademarked, nobody steal it!)

(These were from female Assassins. Males lying in wait are surprisingly hard to find; they almost always stand or pace in the open.)

And like the British Army, they—stupidly—don’t discriminate. Shay can point his gun at their fellow Assassin, at a civilian, or at a British soldier (their sworn enemy); their reaction will be the same.

The last thing I want to mention before progressing in the story: An objective for conquering Two Bends’ ‘gang headquarters’ is “Kill the Slaver.” You’re tasked with killing a slave trader…in Assassin territory…because they haven’t already strung him up by his entrails. THE FUCK? 

> When next we join our…um…unique protagonist, he’s dropping by the Finnegans’. It’s the closest he has to home, and where else can he go? He walks through the front door, and sees someone who definitely isn’t Cassidy at the fireplace next to Barry.
> 
> Cassidy—wherever she’s at—hears his footsteps on the wood floor and spins around. “Shay!” Startled and concerned, she hurries over. “Colonel Monro told us what happened!”

**Shay** : “Which is—?”

 **Cassidy** : “You dealt with the gang all by yourself! What were you thinking?!”

 **Shay** : “To be fair, I only fought…like…two of them, though.”

 **Cassidy** : “And what happened to the rest?”

 **Shay** : “They sort’ve…left me alone after I burned their flag.”

 **Cassidy** : *looks at George*

 **George** : “I suspect the cloth may have concealed dark hypnotic powers.” 

> Shay nods once with a half-smile, and opens his mouth, but before he can utter a syllable—
> 
> “ _You_ , sir—!”
> 
> Barry strides toward them, pointing accusingly. The unidentified third figure in the room notices Shay and turns his back to the fireplace, arms folded. It’s George.

Does he have nothing better to do? Or has he not been here long, and Shay just happened to run into him? 

> “Are a _fool_!” Then he offers a hand and says in a more muted, friendly manner, “But thanks.”
> 
> Shay accepts the handshake and smiles again. Barry chuckles, grinning broadly.
> 
> George steps forward. “Master Cormac, I am sorry to bother you when you are

I can’t type this without wanting to laugh, and tears springing to my eyes… 

> barely out of your sickbed...”

Riiiight...Because if _I’d_ seen him loot the corpse of a guy he killed, then go for his gun, that’s how he’d come across to me, too. ‘Barely out of his sickbed.’ 

> Shay interjects. “No, I—I’ve had enough of being cooped up.”
> 
> “Then perhaps you could get a friend of mine out of trouble?”

“Then could you get a friend of mine out of trouble?”

Why should he do you a favor, risky or otherwise? He just met you, and you’ve done nothing for _him_. You could at least make it a joint venture—it _is_ your friend. 

> “He discovered a nest of criminals developing strange weapons.” George gives Shay about half a dozen silver bullets, which rattle in his palm as he and Barry inspect them. “Look at these. Bullets as loud and bright as firecrackers.”

Deafening volume is a universal presumption when it comes to bullets. ‘Bright,’ on the other hand, _is_ odd.

“He discovered a nest of criminals developing strange weapons. Bullets as bright as firecrackers.”

If Shay needs an air rifle—I disagree, but apparently it _was_ pretty rare and special to own one then, and they were mostly used by hunters—he could get it here. It could be the device (or one of the devices) that the Assassins intended to fire these bullets with. They must possess at least one air rifle, or they wouldn’t have made these.

Or George could give it to him after this mission, as a thank-you gift.

(What business did _Lawrence Washington_ have wanting an air rifle? He was on death’s doorstep, and I doubt it was meant for his brother. The Austrian military won’t use them until 1780, and I can’t find a record of the British Army _ever_ doing so.) 

> Barry reaches toward the bullets, to look at one up close. George stops him.
> 
> “If we might...have a moment alone?”
> 
> Barry looks between him and Shay, and raises his hands—‘Okay, fine’—then an index finger (‘I’ll let you do that’) as he backs away, presumably retreating upstairs.
> 
> “His name is Christopher Gist,” George informs Shay. “And he might be in over his head. I fear these brutes will hang him like a dog.”

**Shay** : “That’s if he pisses them off. Normally Assassins like quick, efficient kills. He may already be dead.”

Does George want privacy because it’s a grim, sensitive topic? I’m unsure why else Barry shouldn’t hear this. 

> “I will not let those outlaws have another victim,” Shay promises.
> 
> “Good. The villains are entrenched at old Fort Arsenal.

How do we get in and take them down? Shay handles the ‘gang members’ while you free Christopher, or vice versa? No, wait! We round up every British soldier in this part of New York and march them to the fort! Huh? _Huh_? ;) 

> I have urgent business in Albany.

Doing _WHAT_? [ o_o ] What could you _possibly_ need to do there that’s more important than saving the life of a man who...whether or not he’s innocent, is at least someone you care about? Why couldn’t it be done if you wait a couple hours before departure? From the way you were positioned when Shay arrived, I’d figure you weren’t in any kind of a hurry. If your ‘urgent’ business was in fact that, wouldn’t your time have been better spent _looking_ for him? 

And what if you couldn’t find him? What if you never saw Shay again? Would you go to Albany and let Christopher die?

But Shay _did_ come, like you hoped, and you’re free to ask a near-total stranger to risk his life for your ‘friend,’ while _you_ are miles away. What is Christopher supposed to think of that, let alone Shay? Can either be expected to trust you?  

> Please, tell Master Gist to join me there.”

Why should he? You didn’t join Shay in saving him—your _FELLOW TEMPLAR_ —from being hanged! Shay, please tell me you’re having doubts whether the Colonial Templars aren’t as bad as their Assassin counterparts.  

> Shay sets about resolving the crisis—‘Save Christopher Gist’.

*FACEPALM* You lousy, blithering, wretched idiot! Do you see _nothing wrong with this picture_?! 

> When he exits the house, he overhears a couple of women gossiping across the road. “Did you hear, dearie?” the elder says. “They are hanging a man in the old fort!”
> 
> “Oh!” laughs the younger. “T’would be a _shame_ to miss _that_!” 

(The first[?] instance of two women talking to each other in _Rogue_ ’s Past section, and one is a sociopathic bitch who delights in a random person’s imminent death. Justice? She neither knows nor cares. But how can she not know the ‘gang’ is in that fort; shouldn’t their reputation cast a _little_ doubt? Thankfully she’s never heard from again.)

Naturally, this doesn’t mean the hanging is going on right this instant, only that it’s in the very near-future— 

> Three minutes on the clock. The hanging is going on right this instant.

The Assassins hold Christopher captive for who-knows-how-long—George either found out after he and Shay separated, and decided the best course of action would be to do nothing…or before he took a leisurely stroll with Shay and chatted about the Order’s ideals.

 **Christopher** : “May the Father of Understanding guide you to Hell.”

Presumably they capture him because he’s spying, stealing weapons, etc., and then…interrogate him? Maybe? And they wait, and George waits, and Shay does whatever he’s doing…But the moment he receives marching orders to interfere, they decide, “Enough of that, Prisoner-Killing Time!”

Everything worked out in his favor, again. For no good reason at all. 

> He runs to the fort, but a notice interrupts him when it’s in sight. “FIRECRACKER The firecracker dart

Bullet. 

> creates a commotion that attracts everyone’s attention. It is the perfect tool for creating a diversion.”

“The firecracker bullet is the perfect tool for a diversion.”

If you don’t know what you’re doing here, you’ll probably fail, a lot. And those twenty words will drive you crazy—“I’VE SEEN THIS FOUR FUCKING TIMES ALREADY! JUST LET ME DO THE FUCKING MISSION, IT’S STRESSFUL ENOUGH WITHOUT THIS SHIT!”

Three minutes to make it to the fort and rescue Christopher, trying to shoot the rope he's swinging from and _not_  to run up any unintended walls in your haste. The rope, of course, is a small target. If you miss, that’ll draw attention from the Assassins by the gallows. And this is _after_ you realize there’s a side entrance (a wide staircase—what are those closed gates at the front even _for_?), and charging head-on—because minus three minutes = screw looking for some tree that leads to a gap in the wall—won’t get you anywhere.

Once the rope is cut, _then_ you can breathe a sigh of relief and fight everybody.

(If you know what you’re doing, it’s possible to complete in one take.)  

> “This bastard nicked what we rightfully stole!” an Assassin at the gallows says. “Let’s say we give him a stretch!”

What did Christopher steal? Not the bullets; George said the Assassins developed those. Is it the money George took…? 

> “Kill him!” “Let him hang!” chorus two more.
> 
> “Go to Hell, the lot of you!” Christopher says.
> 
> _These ruffians are part of the same gang who made trouble for the Finnegans_.

Did the identical uniforms tip you off, or was it the barely concealed maniacal laughter? 

> Blah, blah, Shay severs the rope, and he and Christopher are attacked.
> 
> ‘Defend Gist’

‘Defend Christopher’  

> “Christopher Gist!” Shay says loudly, over the commotion of the battle. “I’m Shay Cormac!”
> 
> “Charmed!” Christopher replies, in a yeah-whatever-please-don’t-break-my-focus-I-need-that-to-not-be-disemboweled sort of way.

Because he’s participating—sword, gun, and everything—and not standing there letting them beat the tar out of him! Incredible, right? 

> “B-but what are _you_ doing here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

I’m sure you were expecting someone else, weren’t you? 

> “The Colonel sent me!” Shay answers, in a we-know-he’s-wonderful-so-I-must-be-some-kind-of-wonderful-too sort of way.
> 
> “A-ha!”

**Christopher** : _That whore_. 

> The Assassins are killed. Christopher gazes around the now-vacant fort.
> 
> “Good _show_ , Shay! Ran them right out of their own _den_.”

They weren’t run out, they died. 

> “Well, I _was_ looking for a new place to live…” Shay eyes the mansion on the grounds.

“I _was_ looking for a new place to live…” 

Not that he had a _former_ place to live, exactly. The Homestead, but _where_ in the Homestead?

And doesn’t the British Army have rights to this property? Or the colonial government, or _somebody_? *checks the Fort Arsenal database entry* “After his falling out with the Assassin Brotherhood, Shay Cormac seized control of Fort Arsenal and used it for his […] personal headquarters. Shay could change outfits, access his [weapon cache], manage his fleet, admire his [treasure collection], and deal with his finances.” 

Fascinating.

“(There are man caves, and then there are MAN CAVES. —V.)” 

Shaun Hastings you are not. 

> “Well, don’t put your name on the door _yet_ ,” Christopher tells him. “There may be a few men left on their ship.”

And circa a hundred more in the rest of New York. 

> He points. “Look, their bird is nested right over there.”

“Don’t put your name on the door _yet_. There may be a few men on their ship.” 

> Shay can see a mast and sails. He instantly recognizes them, and is in shock. Because it’s his baby.
> 
> “The _Morrigan_ …What is _she_ doing there?” he asks, more to himself than anyone else.

As mentioned, 4-5 months have passed. Or a little less, doesn’t matter: You’d expect Elizabeth to have moved it by now. Sent it on a mission, sold it, let Louis blow it up. _Something_. It’s not like she expects to see Shay again—and if she does, she’ll kill him and take full possession anyway.

Instead, it’s taking up space and being no use to anybody. Like Elizabeth. [ :) ]

> “That’s my _ship_ , friend,” he tells Christopher. “Begging your pardon, but…I must go fetch her _back_ from those _louts_ —” he grumbles, walking away.

“Begging your pardon, but…I must fetch her _back_ from those _louts_ —”

I like ‘lout’ much better than ‘ruffian.’ Less…formal and upper class-ish. 

> Christopher quickly reaches out to him. “W-wait!” He relaxes. “I can hardly let you do that alone.”

[ o: ]

[ O: !!! ]

MORE help with fighting?! [ ;~; ] Am I part of a _team_ from now on; do you consider me an honorary Templar, and I’ll enjoy the benefit of many well-armed people watching my back because Templars are a family (except George Monro but screw him)?!?

I—I don’t know what to say, I just…Thank you!  

> Shay smiles a little, pleased. “Help me if you can, then.”

“Help if you can, then.”

And obviously he can, because he took on at least 20-25% of the Assassins in the fort!

> ‘Follow Gist’

‘Follow Christopher’  

> “Keep your wits about you, Shay,” cautions my new hero. “Criminals are everywhere. And most of them look just like law-abiding citizens!”

*looks at ‘gang members’; looks at ordinary New York citizens* …I don’t suppose eyeglasses are common yet. [ ^-^; ]

> “And they’ve been harassing the people who’ve nursed me back to health.”
> 
> “Sounds like good folks,” Christopher says, making generic small-talk.
> 
> “They are.

He really doesn’t remember the village idiot/clumsy deckhand/half-drunk thing, does he? 

> Perhaps you know them. Barry and Cassidy Finnegan.”
> 
> “I’ve never met them, but I knew their son.”

Shay never asks what happened to Alby. Isn’t he curious? If only so he might be supplied with more reason to hate the Assassins?

“Keep your wits about you.” 

> Christopher takes Shay to a wooden platform, which rises to just a few inches below the top of the wall facing the docks. “Careful now. These ruffians could be anywhere. You can draw them out by making noise!”

“They could be anywhere. Make noise, draw them out!”

 **Shay** : “Sure, let’s grab a megaphone and announce ourselves so _these_ Assassins can finish the job _those ones_ failed.” *jabs thumb back at fort* 

> “Oh, I’ve got something better than that,” Shay says with relish.

**Christopher** : “Really? What is it?”

 **Shay** : “A bullet that makes noise.”

 **Christopher** : “But that…that’s what I said…”

 **Shay** : “Don’t take credit for my ideas!” 

> A female Assassin emerges from a patch of brush below them, and runs across the road into…a shed

(? Okay, let’s call it a shed).

There’s no one chasing or searching for her. She just likes sheds. 

> “Well!” Christopher replies. “You seem more than capable of taking care of _this_ matter.

Why, Chris?! Why would you betray me this way?! I loved you!

He seems capable…because he said that he has a better plan to deal with them than making noise to draw them out. Didn’t say what it was. For all you know, it’ll go down as the worst plan in history.

And less than a quarter of a mile ago, you insisted on helping. Now you back out after leading him somewhere he could’ve found with his eyes shut, and without asking if there’s any way you could be of service to the _man who saved your ungrateful ass_! “You’ve got this covered, no need for me to be here, so…see ya’!”

I can’t even pretend he _wants_ him to die on account of his idiocy, because he has no idea what Shay’s going to do.  

> He’s cut off by yet another notice.

This is like an A/N in the middle of a fanfic chapter. 

> “GANG STALKER

UGHHHH. 

> Stalkers hide in wait and try to attack unseen.

She must not be a stalker, then. 

> You can fight them if you block their attack,

Brilliant! 

> or use firecrackers to draw them out.

Or sneak up on them if they’re on a rooftop/in a haystack/around a corner, which they usually are. 

> You can also use the compass in Eagle Vision to point you to the nearest stalker or captain.

‘STALKERS Stalkers try to attack unseen. Eagle Vision will point you to them.’  

> A stalker is nearby!

I wouldn’t have guessed, what with this information about stalkers being thrust in my face. 

> Use Eagle Vision to locate the stalker.

YOU. JUST. SAID THAT, OH MY—! 

> If stalkers see you first, they will attack.”

“But don’t worry, they won’t do any serious harm. They’re actually quite cuddly.” 

> Tell you what,” finishes Christopher. “I shall find a new crew for your vessel. In case you have to leave post-haste.”

Why _would_ he…? It’s not because of the Assassins—you said he seems ‘more than capable’ of handling them on his own.

 **Shay** : “So I’ll do the hard work while you socialize. I’m starting to see why you and George are friends.”  

> Via Eagle Vision, Shay can see the Assassin glowing bright crimson inside the shed. He shoots a firecracker onto the ground near the doors, causing her to run out but not away.

‘I wonder where this came from. Weird.’ *stares at it* 

> Now he can air-assassinate her.
> 
> ‘Reclaim the _Morrigan_ ’
> 
> He kills the stalkers and cuts down the _Morrigan_ ’s old flag.

*yawn*  

> Christopher later finds him at the end of the dock, admiring the ship in the sunset. He has several men in tow, none of which are clearly Templars.
> 
> “She’s a fine ship!”

**Christopher** : “But the Order could hook you up with something larger that has more firepower, or give you stacks of money and supplies for upgrades, along with all the crew you could ever need…If, you know, we wanted to.”

 **Shay** : “So…do you want to?”

 **Christopher** : *shrugs* “Meh.” 

> “And true to my word, I’ve found a crew for her.”
> 
> The men carry crates on-board.
> 
> “I… _did_ leave one position unfilled, though.” He’s a little sheepish. “Tell me, Shay, do you have a first mate?” he asks hopefully.

“I… _did_ leave one position unfilled, though. Do you have a first mate?” 

> Shay looks at the _Morrigan_ , reluctant to make eye contact.  _T_ _he last I saw of him_ , _he was pointing a gun at my chest_ … _Right before he shot me_.
> 
> “He’s…long gone.” 

A half-truth. Liam’s alive and well as far as Shay’s aware, but he’ll never again be the person he used to know. Will never forgive him. 

> “Then I apply for the post, _Captain_!” Christopher says eagerly.

“Then _I_ apply, _Captain_!” 

> Shay looks him over and nods, then they shake hands. “Welcome aboard.”
> 
> He helps him onto the deck and walks along slowly, taking it all in again. Might seem like something from another life, almost.
> 
> “As your first mate,” Christopher says, “may I suggest our first destination? The Colonel will be expecting me to report back.”

“As your first mate, may I suggest our destination? The Colonel will expect me to report back.”

George sent Shay in his stead. He knew your situation, but couldn’t be arsed to do anything about it himself. _Why doesn’t that bother you_?! Do you know what he’s up to in Albany? Will Shay ask what George considers more important than his ally, and you’ll explain it to him and we’ll all be like, “Ohh, that makes sense. Yeah, he really had no choice, then”? 

> “My thoughts exactly,” Shay replies. “Colonel Monro said he’d be in Albany.”

*gestures for him to go on* 

> End Memory. 

What—is that the cliffhanger because _Rogue_ ’s going to _show_ where George went instead of Chris telling us? Do we cut to an intense fight between the British and French Armies, everything on fire, or—?  

> George is at Albany’s dock, a British soldier walking away from him toward the town. He faces the camera, as if he sees something that interests him. Christopher comes into view, dark brown coat, wide-brimmed cowboyish hat and all.
> 
> “In good health, I see?” George says.
> 
> Shay appears alongside Christopher; George and the latter shake hands.
> 
> “Ehh,” Christopher replies. “Thanks to the Captain here.”
> 
> George looks at the _Morrigan_ , docked beside them. “‘Tis a fine vessel, Captain Cormac.”
> 
> “Thank you, Colonel Monro.”

“Thank you.” 

> George addresses Christopher again. “Master Gist. Did you learn more about our conspirators and their new weapons?”

If he’s worried more about those clowns than anything going on here…nothing’s going on here.  

> “Only that their base of operations is a French fort further downriver,” Christopher answers.

Again with the fucking French being the Assassins’ fucking allies. Where are the French _Templars_? Out of all these commanding officers, there isn’t _one_ who could do the Colonial Rite some favors? 

> “It’s a little close for comfort, isn’t it?” asks Shay.
> 
> “If the French have installed a fort in our territory, they are likely preparing an assault,” George tells him.

“If the French installed a fort in our territory, they’re likely preparing an assault. 

> “New York could burn.

Oh, I wouldn’t worry; the Assassins would _never_ let _that_ happen. All the innocent people whose lives would be uprooted or lost in the chaos! No, no, surely they would help the Templars prevent it… 

> Will you join us, Master Cormac?”

Will you join us?” 

> “Aye,” Shay agrees. “Enough innocents have died already.”

*nod* The Assassins must feel the same way.  

> “Might I suggest we improve our vessel?” Christopher says. “The _Morrigan_ is good, but with a few more supplies she could be _unstoppable_.

Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Will they demonstrate the Templars’ clout—? 

> And…there’s a French outpost nearby I happen to know.”

Outposts are the equivalent of _Black Flag_ ’s plantations. But _Assassins_ should have to resort to raiding warehouses, not _Templars_! I’m aware that if the Templars gave Shay everything, the game wouldn’t be very difficult. This doesn’t change that they _can_ give him quite a bit, and don’t because reasons. 

> “I like the sound of that,” Shay says.

We _still_ don’t have the faintest clue what George was doing.


	12. I’m Pathologically Honest—Which is Weird for a Thief, I Know

>  George joins Shay and Christopher on the upper deck, where Louis used to stand.
> 
> ‘Sail to the French Outpost’ The _Morrigan_ has barely begun to move when Shay blurts out, “What sort of business are the French up to there? Just occupying the territory?”

“ _If the French have installed a fort in our territory_ , _they are likely preparing an assault_.”

 **George** : _This is going to be a loooong trip_ …

Completely forgetting that he said that, 

> George responds evenly, “It is an economical incursion more than a geographical one.

What does that mean, exactly—their goal is to steal resources? 

> Some of the ruffians are sponsored by enemies of the colonies.

Some? Where are these mythical non-French-affiliated Assassins? I’d love to meet them.

If ‘economical incursion’ = ‘sponsoring the Assassins,’ they’re actually _losing_ money, then. 

> They intend to undermine local authorities.”
> 
> “I’ve heard they steal from civilians,” Christopher adds.

They = French or Assassins? 

> “And resell essential goods for _ten times_ the price.”

My sanity says French.  

> “It’s always the little fellow who gets skinned,” Shay says, resentful. Moments later, he suddenly speaks again. “Colonel. You and Gist here seem inspired.

Inspired [adj.]: “Of such surpassing brilliance or excellence as to suggest divine inspiration.”

Just how low are his standards?  

> Is there something in the water, or in the whiskey?”

**George** : “Are you…feeling okay?” 

> “Now why do you say _that_ , Master Cormac?” George sounds slightly amused.
> 
> Christopher doesn’t give Shay an opportunity to answer, though. “I think _Shay_ here is skeptical about our intentions toward our fellow man.”

How is calling you ‘inspired’ being ‘skeptical’ of anything?

 **George** : _It’s contagious_!  

> “I understand, but there is no need,” says George.

**George** : _There it goes_. 

> “I simply want these colonies to be a place of safety, development, and purpose.”

Development and purpose, meaning in this context…?  

> “Funny, I thought rich men wanted them to be a place of profit,” Shay says cynically.

I must forgive him for not believing that George gives a crap about anyone but himself. 

> “I am not a rich man, Master Cormac.

Every other game, pretty much everywhere is under your enemies’ influence. _Rogue_ , pretty much everywhere is under your enemies’ influence.

Every other game, your enemies are power-crazed psychos who will mow down as many innocents as it takes to get to the Pieces of Eden. _Rogue_ , your enemies are power-crazed psychos who will mow down as many innocents as it takes to get to the Pieces of Eden.

Every other game, your faction is (comparatively) poorer than your enemies’…You know the drill.

But in _Rogue_ , your enemies are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. Either George isn’t a high-ranking member of the Order, or the Colonial Assassins and Templars are terribly confused.

 **Assassin** : “Wait, so… _we’re_ the ones who kill whoever we want, whenever we want, right?”

 **Templar #1** : “Actually, I think that’s us…Is that us?”

 **Templar #2** : “No, that’s them. They’re pretty big on the whole expediency thing.”

 **Assassin** : “Thought so.” 

> Money is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself.”
> 
> “Says _you_ ,” Christopher scoffs. “I think it’s a _fine_ end to a game of cards.”

Christopher’s sense of humor is my favorite thing about him. Yesterday I sailed up north by a giant ice wall—cue ‘Game of Thrones’ theme—and was pleasantly surprised to hear him say something like, “One evening, I’ll tell stories about this voyage in front of a warm fire. _This_ evening would be _perfect_.” [ XD ]

> Shay raids the warehouse and gets stuff. ‘Reach the Captain’s Cabin’
> 
> Christopher congratulates him the nanosecond he’s on the deck again. “Good _show_ , Shay!

…

“ _Good_ show, _Shay_! _Ran them right out of their own_ den.”

 **Shay** : *punches Christopher in the face on his way past to the cabin*  

> Now let’s use those materials to give the _Morrigan_ more firepower!

“ _Might I suggest we improve our vessel_? _The_ Morrigan _is good_ , _but with a few more supplies she could be unstoppable_. _And_ … _there’s a French outpost nearby I happen to know._ ”

Like you suggested _ten seconds ago_? Stop talking. Please, for fuck’s sake, stop talking. 

> We will need more powerful guns before we approach that fort.

Buy guns. Got it. _Now_ stop. 

> Go to your cabin to arrange the work.”

The objective said (and still says) ‘Reach the Captain’s Cabin.’ I don’t need you telling me to do something I already know I’m supposed to. 

> Inside, Shay’s objective becomes ‘Upgrade the _Morrigan_ with a Mortar’—

but oddly enough he isn’t _required_ to buy one to move forward. 

> ‘Capture the Fort’
> 
> Shay leaves the cabin, and Christopher exclaims, “Splendid! That fort and her defenders will tremble before the _Morrigan_!”

“Splendid! That fort and her defenders will tremble!”

See, the problem with buying ship upgrades this way…is that that make no sense. Shay goes into the cabin. Shay comes out of the cabin. And Christopher acts like they were visited by the Gun Fairy. 

> “Your ship is in fine form, Master Cormac,” George says when Shay takes the wheel. “That fort should offer little resistance.”

Will you two quit reciting love poems to my ship? 

> “I rather hope the frogs offer some, else this will be a dull day,” Christopher remarks.
> 
> “Never _wish_ for battle, Master Gist,” George lectures him.

Sometimes he says something admirable and I almost like him again. 

> “There is plenty around here for any of our lifetimes.”
> 
> “Besides, if we find the fort’s commander,” Shay says, “the French will surrender, no?”

**George** : “No, I believe you’d have to _kill him_ before they’d surrender. This isn’t Hide and Seek.” 

> “Indeed, that is a sensible strategy!” George replies.

**George** : … _If the alternative is holding our_ breath _until they surrender_.  

> “But we will have to wear down the fort’s defenses first. Otherwise they will just dig in like a wounded bear.”
> 
> “There’s our target, Shay!” Christopher announces, when a fort appears out of the fog, in the distance. “Knock her down like a game of nine pins!”
> 
> Its occupants notice the _Morrigan_ entering its waters and sound the alarm.

What would’ve been interesting and different is if they recognized the _Morrigan_ as an allied ship, and weren’t on the defensive until Shay fired the first volley. But with the flag he’s flying, I guess that isn’t possible.  

> “Begin by hitting her towers,” George instructs.
> 
> “As the Colonel says!” shouts Christopher over the bells.
> 
> There are only three weak towers, and Shay turns them into rubble in minutes.
> 
> “Superb!” Christopher says when they dock. “Now find the fort commander!”

Only if you promise to get eaten by a shark while I’m gone. 

> Shay doesn’t need to climb a blessed thing—the fort entrance is wide open. Three guards are there forming a welcome party.

In a better game, these would be the highest-skilled Assassins in the fort; when was the last time three guards stopped Shay from doing anything?  

> He soon reaches the war room, where the commander is holed up. His face falls slightly and his eyebrows knit together when he discovers who that is.
> 
> “Le Chasseur…”

**Not** - **Robert** : _Oh_ , _I am going to enjoy_ this… 

> The aforementioned stands across from the doors Shay’s walked through, scarcely twenty feet away. Not-Robert’s posture is straight and rigid. His head is bent forward, and he’s glaring daggers, displaying extreme aggression. He didn’t know who he’d face when the fort’s attackers invaded, just that he would face somebody. That person turned out to be a traitor to his allies. He’s eager to bring him down for real.

Good job hiding in an enclosed space with one exit. You’re lucky Shay’s alone.

Well, you’re still going to die, but it’ll take longer. 

> “Shay…”
> 
> Shay blinks, and his eyes widen slightly in fear; he can hear the hostility and suspicion in Not-Robert’s voice. He must’ve heard what happened at the Homestead.
> 
> “It has been so _long_ …”

Just over two years since May 1754. 

> They begin to circle each other.
> 
> “Were you on a… _special_ mission?” Not-Robert manages to sound almost innocent and pleasant while scowling. Maybe Shay will have the decency not to lie to him.
> 
> “Yes.” Shay tries to interject his voice with false confidence. “From Achilles.” He couldn’t be more transparent.

**Shay** : _Where’s Christopher when you need him_? _On the_ Morrigan, _probably. This feels familiar_ … 

> Not-Robert pauses, as does Shay.
> 
> “How interesting…” Does Shay think he’s an idiot? Why else would he tell him that?
> 
> Not-Robert draws his sword and points it directly at him. “So am I.”

The cliche for an exchange like this is that Not-Robert’s ‘special mission’ is to kill Shay. Or, ‘How can _you_ be on a mission for him if _I_ am?’ But what he’s referring to has nothing to do with Shay. Whoop-te-doo, you’re being honest and he isn’t, congratulations? Just because you’ve got an assignment doesn’t mean _he_ couldn’t theoretically as well, if he were still an Assassin?

I believe what Ubisoft might’ve had in mind is, “I’m in contact with Achilles, therefore I know you’re a treasonous sack of crap.” That was abundantly obvious, however, so it…doesn’t have a dramatic punch.  

> Shay unsheathes his sword and knife. ‘Kill Le Chasseur’
> 
> “Don’t make me do this, Le Chasseur!” he says.

Don’t make me do this, The Hunter! 

> He’s a decent guy that Shay has no desire to cause harm to, whatever his affiliations.
> 
> “We could both just leave!”

“Don’t make me do this! We could both just leave!”

What would you tell George and Christopher? You ran into an acquaintance who threatened to kill you, so…can’t take the fort today, let’s go home? 

> “Ah!

**Not** - **Robert** : “But then—” *does a double-take, and holds up script* “Real funny, guys, who’s the wise-ass? […] This line. This line right here.” *points* “No one in their right mind would actually say this. I demand to know who—Seriously? You have to be fucking kidding me.” *sighs irately, rolling eyes* “Fine, let’s just get it over with as fast as possible…” 

> But then I would tell your Brothers that you are alive!

Are you friends with the Assassins? If you are, your reaction _should have been_ : Back off, put away your weapon, say, “I agree—I’ve got nothing against you personally, let’s pretend this never happened,” leave (because Shay is a moron who allowed you to do that), go to the Homestead and tell the Assassins he’s alive, then keep a low profile while they hunt him. Not: “I could take advantage of this opportunity to escape, but I’m pathologically honest—which is weird for a thief, I know—and feel obligated to tell you that I’d betray you and then wait to see if you change your mind about sparing me.”

> You have to kill me, Shay!”

**Not** - **Robert** : “Can you just…can you just have my character stab himself in the gut when Shay walks into the room? Or have him already be dead when he gets there? He’s suicidal, what difference does it make?”

Your puppet strings are showing, Ubisoft.  

> Not-Robert is such an awesome fighter that counter-moves effective against nine out of ten enemies in the game don’t faze him. Not only that, but Shay takes damage every time he tries them.

No wonder he survived this long. 

> The only way Shay can win is to take him off-guard by throwing him into hard surfaces—tables, barrels, etc.—and shattering every bone he has. Which he does.
> 
> Eventually, he runs him through, and kicks away his sword after he falls to the floor then tries to retrieve it.
> 
> Not-Robert props himself into a sitting position with one hand, face screwed up due to pain from the fatal injury. “You were always good at your business, Shay…”

Always? You met him _twice_ before now. He looked at a map, said he knew the guy you named in your espionage report, asked how you were and where Samuel Smith was, took the weapon and advice you gave him…then destroyed the sad excuse for a naval fort that you’d recently been put in charge of. If that was all I knew of him, I’d call him mediocre in every respect. 

> Shay drops to one knee, in order to be eye-level with him. “As were you.

You met him _twice_ before now. He shared weapon designs that he stole from a Royal Navy ship, described what he glimpsed of the Manuscript, gave the name of the last person rumored to have it in their keeping, informed you that Samuel Smith had returned from Europe and could be located nearby, custom-built early machine guns for your ship….Huh. _You_ can legitimately say that. He can’t. 

> Tell me.” He grabs the kicked sword from where it rests next to him and jams the blade tip into the ground, his gaze narrowing with suspicion. “What are you doing inland?”

Apparently Steven Piovesan needs a couple more voice-acting lessons. He pronounces it ‘in-land,’ rather than ‘in-lend.’

 **Not** - **Robert** : “What—am I only allowed on ships and islands? How do you know I’m not just trying to be closer to my family or something?! Why is this any of your business?” 

> “Special weapons,” Not-Robert answers.

Uhhh…Why aren’t you telling him to screw himself?

> “Poisonous gases to use against colonial authorities.

He is your _enemy_! Your allies’ _enemy_! He stole from and deserted them, attacked your fort (which is also theirs), and lied to your face! It isn’t as though there’s no harm in revealing this, because the sooner he knows about the gases, the sooner he can warn said authorities—perhaps also the Templars—and get rid of them. YOU FUCKING TRAITOR. 

> I am merely a delivery man…”
> 
> Not-Robert dies.

**Not** - **Robert** : *tosses cloud of script confetti into the air as he walks away* “Yes! Peace out!” 

> Shay puts down the sword. “Then may your final delivery be _swift_ ,” he says tersely.

_This_ is when he should’ve used that “Thank you for revealing your master plan, you scheming snake” line. 

> At some point the Royal Navy occupies what’s left of the fort.
> 
> Meanwhile(?) on a New York street—Shay walks up to where George stands arms folded, deep in thought, staring at dense rows of brick buildings and a scant few trees and civilians without seeing them.
> 
> George looks over at Shay, who’s waiting patiently, hands clasped behind his back. “Ah, Master Cormac.

[ :/ ]

> What you have learned from Le Chasseur was confirmed.

We don’t know his name, but that wasn’t it. 

> The local lawbreakers are changing tactics.”

From what to what—from their usual murder methods (stabbing, shooting, etc.) to gassing people?

“Ah, Master Cormac. What you’ve learned has been confirmed: the Assassins are changing tactics.”

> “What’s their plan now?” Shay asks.

Didn’t George just get done telling him the Assassins’ plan is exactly what Not-Robert said it is? It wasn’t, “What you[’ve] learned [has been] confirmed, **but** the local lawbreakers are changing tactics.” He gave no indication that they _have_ a different plan.

> “Their boss has hired Benjamin Franklin to produce new weapons for them,” says George. “He is very well-guarded.”

“Benjamin Franklin was hired to make weapons for them. He’s very well-guarded.”

Cesare Borgia and Leonardo da Vinci much? Minus coercion. Although I wouldn’t put it past the R!As to threaten him if he refused. 

> “Benjamin Franklin,” Shay muses aloud, then looks to George for affirmation. “The scientist?”

That can’t have been a terribly common name. 

> “You have heard of him! Good. He is making equipment to…spread gases amongst the populace.

George speaks of these “new weapons” as though Shay doesn’t already know about them. However, when he elaborates on what they are, we can see that he is, in fact, still talking about the gas Not-Robert mentioned…like it’s a horrifying revelation. The only difference between what Not-Robert revealed to Shay, and what George asserts now…is that somehow George mixed up the Assassins’ target.

> _Toxic ones_ , as it turns out.”

“ _Poisonous gases to use against colonial authorities_.

*facepalm* What ever gave you _that_ idea? 

> “The populace?” Shay repeats. He’s somewhat skeptical, but more or less accepting of whatever George tells him; George is goodness and light. “I thought they would use it against the authorities?”

*pats Shay on the head for paying attention* [ :3 ]

> He makes a sweeping motion toward the nearby civilians. Then it seems to dawn on him: ‘Oh right, society says I shouldn’t be okay with that.’

If George is so prejudiced against the Brotherhood that he assumes they’ll kill civilians, that’s an unorthodox level of hate. I can’t think of another Templar who—upon hearing that Assassins are about to strike at figures/institutions representing law and order (which they’re notoriously against)—might reply, unsubstantiated, “It’s worse than that: They’re going to blow up an orphanage. They’re that sick.”

 _Were_ he just wrong, though, wouldn’t he have said, “My sources confirmed what you learned from Le Chasseur, but I don’t think that’s the whole story; I believe their intentions are more sinister”? Or something to that effect? That he didn’t leads me to conclude their findings _weren’t_ questioned, and he’s contradicting himself Because Plot.

Unless Shay lied regarding what happened at the fort, and spun a tale about the Assassins being indiscriminate psychopaths (because Lisbon, I guess)? No. If that were the case, when he said, “I thought they would use it against the authorities?” George would’ve responded, “That’s not what you told me earlier.”

> “Though…that would be terrible as well,” he adds.
> 
> George frowns deeply at Shay. ‘Watch yourself.’

* * *

There’s a possibility George is trying to cement Shay’s loyalty by portraying the Assassins as monsters. Shouldn’t he then have said that Not-Robert’s intel _didn’t _check out? Shay would swallow that—after all, what person in their right mind gives battle plans to the enemy?__

* * *

____

How does George reconcile Not-Robert’s “confirmed” intelligence with their alleged new goal? He doesn’t. He doesn’t even try. He ignores Shay’s question and goes on to state—

> “The ruffians we have arrested refer to an intimidating woman.”

Gonna’ need to be a little more specific. 

> Shay glances away, an uncomfortable thought having occurred to him.
> 
> George doesn’t appear to notice. “I believe she is behind these nefarious plans.”

_What nefarious plans_ —the ones you pulled out of your ass?!

Notice how George doesn’t say, “The ruffians we […] arrested refer to an intimidating woman; they say she is behind these nefarious plans”—which could be taken to mean that he’s acting based on a confession. All we can _prove_ is that the British Army (or Templars, but more likely the first) captured some Assassins, and overheard them make at least a passing mention of Elizabeth’s existence, in such a way as to imply that she’s no shrinking violet. They didn’t name her outright and definitely not as their “boss,” because if they had, George wouldn’t just _believe_ she was behind their plans, he would know. They may not even have said she’s one of them.

We have _no_ evidence that they confessed to _anything_.

But for argument’s sake, let us suppose that’s exactly what George is trying to say happened and he’s the victim of bad writing. **Why**? I’m not asking so much why they’d talk (they could’ve easily been tortured). Rather, why would they say _this_?

 _Did_ Not-Robert lie to Shay, to misdirect him? Hard to believe, since first of all—as I pointed out—telling Shay about the gas would inevitably lead him to try and dispose of it, no matter who the intended target was. So if Not-Robert wanted to prevent interference, he should’ve just stayed silent. He was dying. What more could anyone do to him? Secondly, to the best of my recollection the Assassins never deliberately weaponize the gas against anyone except Shay and British soldiers—suggesting it _is_ meant for their enemies. They don’t unleash it in the middle of a crowded street in broad daylight, for example.

 _Was_ Not-Robert being pathologically honest (as is supported by: “What you have learned from Le Chasseur was confirmed”), but the captured Assassins weren’t lying either; if so, why would the Brotherhood go after innocents and blatantly violate the Creed? And if they _were_ , that particular lie wouldn’t shorten their time in captivity nor stay an execution, even _if_ they managed to sell it.

Best case scenario: George just didn’t pick up on their sarcasm.

> Shay volunteers to pick up the brunt of the work again, as with saving Christopher. “I’ll look into this.”

Am I crazy, or does he have more freedom and agency as a Templar than as an Assassin? Instead of Liam, Louis, and Elizabeth telling him, “Go here, do this, kill them,” he tells other people, “Okay, you need that done? Sit and relax, be back in a jif.”

* * *

If someone said _Rogue_ is a cautionary tale meant to illustrate ‘Nothing is True’ (like _Assassin’s Creed I_ is about blind faith), I’d be inclined to believe them. And when they told me to knock that crap off, I’d reply it’s because of evidence, not because I trust them implicitly the way I did the game characters.

I cringe to remember accepting Juhani’s word that Assassins strive for freedom thanks to Altair, and _complimenting_ that line in the review. Until one day I re-read it.

“Wait a minute...”

And despite writing more than once, ‘I don’t see what ancient wisdom has to do with [X],’ I figured everybody making a ruckus about locating and understanding the Manuscript…and a target dying so Shay could obtain it…meant that it _couldn’t_ be worthless. If Shay insists it led to Lisbon’s destruction, the connection may not have been obvious but it was there, I just hadn’t grasped it.

And I told my brother that Shay had good reason to leave the Assassins—Achilles sent him to get a Piece of Eden, knowing there’d be an earthquake. Even as the words left my mouth, I felt unsure and bothered. It didn’t line up with his character from _Assassin’s Creed III_.

But Shay had ranted up a storm, and the soon-to-be antagonists were pitiless toward civilian deaths, and gave no legitimate counter-arguments. Only when I tried to understand Achilles’ perspective did I realize he was innocent, Shay overreacting.

(James Wardrop trashing individual freedom, as well as that nonsense about keeping the colonies unified against France, wasn’t much of a Why You Suck speech...but it was more than all the Assassins got combined. After Shay is no longer one of them, _Rogue_ doesn’t concern itself with their POV—what _they_ think they’re doing compared to how the Templars see it.)

And when George said the Assassins intended to attack civilians with poisonous gas, it wasn’t conceivable that maybe he was insane, or manipulating Shay. That he was anything but spot-on. Never you mind that he also said Not-Robert was right almost immediately before saying he was wrong.

Why did I feel compelled to take whatever he, Juhani, Shay, etc. said at face value? Perhaps because dialogue must convey information. They wouldn’t say it without a reason. And if that reason wasn’t to face the consequences of their mistakes, and grow and develop as a character, was it because...it was the truth?

* * *

> “Thank you.” George leaves, the purpose of their meeting accomplished.
> 
> Shay turns his back to him and stares at the ground, expression solemn. Then shakes his head lightly.
> 
> “Hope…I pray it’s not you.”

“Eliza…I pray it’s not you.” 

Where are these mythical authority-having-but-not-Elizabeth female Assassins? I’d love to meet them. 

> ‘Reach Franklin’s House’

‘Reach Benjamin Franklin’s House’

How does Shay know where that is? And didn’t Benjamin live in Philadelphia; did he really have residences in Sleepy Hollow and New York City, too? 

> ‘Heavily guarded’ refers to—in this particular instance—seven or eight R!As standing outside the place,

enough to deter the average visitor…but not a group of British soldiers, COME ON, GEORGE.

Anyway…  

> Shay takes care of them and knocks on Benjamin’s front door. The person in question answers while he’s still drawing his hand back.

Speaking of drawing, the animators gave up or went on strike, because there’s no indoors—only a black void. 

> “Shay!” Benjamin exclaims happily, gesturing toward him with some sort of wide tube or other wrapped in a cloth. “It is good to see you again!” He steps outside, and closes and locks the door. “Your friend Hope said you were away.”

“Shay! It is good to see you again! Your friend Elizabeth said you were away.”

> “I-I-I _was_ …” Shay stammers awkwardly. Away from the Homestead, away from everything until…

Yesterday? The day before yesterday? When _was_ his miraculous recovery? 

> For the second time since they met, Benjamin walks past Shay without another glance.

Was that a quirk of his…?  

> “Sir!” Shay quickly follows, matching pace. “I-I’ve come to collect the results of your experiments.”
> 
> Benjamin looks over with mild interest. “Oh! Well! It’s a very good thing, then—” He stops and faces him. “I just finished fixing the prototype! Here you go.”
> 
> He hands the tube to Shay.

And then in a while, the Assassins send someone to check with their Brothers stationed outside, to ask what’s taking so long. They’re nowhere to be found, or discovered dead. Benjamin is missing.

They play hell trying to find out where he went, and can’t locate the weapon after ransacking his place in the meantime. Did he take it with him? Maybe. But then, what happened to the guards—they all deserted their post at once, or…British soldiers? In any case it looks suspect. 

> “I was preparing to leave for Philadelphia, and then Europe,” Benjamin says.

More fortuitous timing. It’s like he has a schedule. Had he shown up a few minutes later, he’d be greeted with an empty house and need to track down Elizabeth, because Benjamin would’ve given the prototype to the R!As and they’d’ve taken it to her. She wouldn’t be so merciful if she caught him stealing from the Brotherhood again. Oh, who am I kidding? She’d be out, or he’d find a way to escape. Or both. Probably both. 

> Though Shay is tuned out, wondering what the tube is for, until he boasts, “I was invited to lecture in London!”

Was he this egotistic? I’m interested to know which parts of his character are accurate and which Ubisoft’s making up…

> He starts to walk off— _again_ —then stops in his tracks (“Oh!”) and turns to Shay, hands clasped with a smile. “Would you be so kind as to inform Mistress Hope?”

“Oh! Would you be so kind as to inform Mistress Elizabeth?”

> Shay hesitates, unsure how to respond. There’s no easy way to explain why he can’t.
> 
> “O-Of course.”

Benjamin’s next encounter with Elizabeth is going to be awkward:

“You didn’t even inform me you were leaving!”

“But I told Shay to let you know!”

“…You what?”  

> Benjamin waves without looking back as he leaves to…wherever. Shay stays put.
> 
> “God, Hope,” he mutters, once Benjamin can’t hear him.

This time he _is_ talking to himself. 

“God, Elizabeth.”

> He reaches back and takes his rifle from where it’s slung over his shoulder. “What are you doing with these felons?”

She’s been with these felons a while, since she was fourteen. Because she’s an Assassin.

And they’re Assassins.

Shitty Assassins, but nonetheless. 

> He crouches, attaching the prototype to it. “Turning the city against itself…What have you become?”

I’d like to point out that he has zero evidence that this isn’t absolute bullshit! [ :D ]

And that if anyone _did_ try to manipulate him, it’d be too easy. He doesn’t think for himself. He knows Elizabeth way better than George, yet doesn’t stop and say: Hold on, if I were an Assassin and she explained this plan to me, what would she say we stand to gain? We wouldn’t be turning the city against _itself_ , we’d be turning it against the _Assassins_ — _we’d_ be the ones gassing people.

And we’d be easily identifiable.

“I’d better investigate thoroughly before I toss around accusations.” ~Someone who isn’t Shay Cormac. 


	13. There’s Only So Many Ways I Can Say, “You Have No Evidence”

> Shay gets up, replacing the rifle onto his shoulder, and there George is behind him.
> 
> “Is something the matter, Master Cormac?”

“Is something the matter?”

Does the entire series suffer from name spam, and it didn’t bother me before?  

> George asks kindly, having seen him sitting and talking to thin air.

At least; it hasn’t been long since their last conversation, and if he had anything more important to do, he’d still be doing it. So unless he was spying on Shay, why couldn’t he join him to begin with? (Out of Benjamin’s sight, of course.) 

> Shay turns around.
> 
> “No, no,” he reassures him. Then concedes, “Yes, just…old memories.”
> 
> George averts his gaze, pondering this. Shay regrets his Brotherhood affiliation.
> 
> He looks back at Shay. “When I am issued new recruits burdened with regrets,

Like Shay, a new recruit for the Order. 

> I tell them the surest way to lose them…is with _gunpowder_.”

You suggest they blow their brains out? [ O-O; ]

Not what he’s saying…but I don’t know what he _is_ saying. Shooting/exploding stuff is cathartic? That doesn’t sound right. 

> “You’re right, Colonel,” Shay says.

Somebody understands him, at least. Or thinks they do.

“You’re right.” 

> George has Shay follow him back the way he came, up six stone steps to a terrace next to Benjamin’s place. Given the rows of dummies, this was an Assassin hang-out.
> 
> “This prototype seems very powerful,” he comments.

No one’s demonstrated it yet. I’m not even sure why Shay thought it should attach to his rifle. 

> “Use it with care, Master Cormac.”

Does he address Shay by name more often than anyone else, or is it just me? Probably just me.

…*does experiment* He has everyone except Liam beat in this regard, 26 to 16; Elizabeth’s in third place with 10. 

> Shay has no visible or audible reaction, just keeps walking.
> 
> “Our intelligence says this _thing_ can destroy certain fortifications,

They watched/received reports of the Assassins testing it in development? 

> as well as injure several enemies at once.” He takes Shay to a crate of ammunition, which belonged to the Assassins(?). “There is also a more subtle way to use it—some of these grenades contain a strong sedative. Fire one into the crowd, and they will fall asleep immediately.”

With all it’s capable of, you’d expect the Brotherhood to guard it and Benjamin _more_ heavily. They wouldn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands.

“Our intelligence says this _thing_ can destroy certain fortifications, as well as injure several people at once or act as a strong sedative.” 

> Shay retrieves a handful of sleep and shrapnel grenades from the crate.
> 
> ‘Destroy the Shed Doors’
> 
> “We should _test_ this new weapon,” George says.

Hasn’t it been already? Benjamin _fixed_ it, meaning it had kinks that the Assassins informed him of.

If it worked well enough before to do all that, are you just curious how powerful it is now? Allow me to clear up that confusion: Exactly that powerful. At best, he might’ve fixed some hiccups. 

> “Use it against that door.” He references the tall, wide, shoddy doors of a shed backed against an enormous brick foundation, about thirty feet away.

“Test it against those doors.” 

> “Go ahead, Master Cormac, shoot the door,” he urges moments later.

GIVE HIM A SECOND.  

> He reiterates this and “Use these grenades to destroy that door” until Shay blasts the doors into splinters with a shrapnel grenade.
> 
> ‘Sabotage the Poison Supplies’
> 
> “Good work.” George passes the otherwise remarkably intact shed, heading for the paved street on the surrounding buildings’ opposite side. “I think you are ready to turn this new weapon against the ruffians who would have used it. There is an abandoned factory nearby, hiding a dangerous poison.

The toxic gas? Why not say, ‘The poison we discussed’? 

> Right now, it only causes sleep.

Dangerous? It’s no different than Shay’s sleep darts and grenades. 

> But I fear those outlaws are distilling it.

Because you don’t like them? We call that kind of fear ‘paranoia’. 

> A more powerful formula could sicken or perhaps even kill most of New York.”

Theoretically it _could_. But—You know, there’s only so many ways I can say, “you have no evidence” before I start sounding like a broken record…so I’ll assume anyone reading this has gotten the point.  

> “Then that’s my first target!” Shay says.
> 
> “Be careful, Master Cormac. We understand that the ingredients are…highly unstable.”

You understand this because…? What happened? 

> “All the better!” Shay responds cheerily.
> 
> George leaves him to it. 
> 
> There are three tanks.

More than three, but only three that Shay can destroy. 

> Upon finding one of these copper-colored metal behemoths—next to a pair of Assassin guards, behind a high fence but otherwise in the open

(did ‘hiding’ have another meaning in the 1700s?)— 

> Shay thinks to himself: _Hmm_. _If I mess with this_ , _maybe I can break the whole system_. A valid hypothesis, given that there are huge pipes running from this tank to probably every other.

On a side-note, some guards detected me as I crossed a pipe to the center sniper’s roof.

“Fleeing is futile!” one shouted. “You’re on _our_ territory, cur!”

Before they could catch up, I’d killed said sniper and hidden in a shed a couple feet away (like the one the non-stalker ran into after Shay met Christopher.) And they didn’t come up to look. Fleeing is _not_ futile. But that’s something I would love to hear an Actual Assassin say to their enemy.

Then I heard two more—maybe the same two, patrolling below the pipe—having a conversation, and eavesdropped.

“What is the first rule of crime?” said the dominant personality.

“Don’t get caught,” the second replied, ashamed.

“DON’T GET CAUGHT. So why do you keep getting caught?”

I suppose that’s something an Assassin might say…? Except they’d probably cite the second tenet instead…?

Then they start talking about something else, and the first guy says, “Look around this place and tell me what you see.”

“I don’t know…Trees? Buildings?”

“I see the beginning of an empire!”

Yeah, okay, done listening to that crap.  

> Shay punctures a tank with a shrapnel grenade,

not sparing one _instant_ of thought to the possibility that—since he’s eating out of the palm of George’s hand and thinks these gases will be distilled to make them lethal…maybe they’ve _already_ been distilled without George’s knowledge, so he’s just killed everyone in the vicinity who isn’t lucky enough to have a mask like him. Which is to say…everyone in the vicinity.

They haven’t, of course, so he can’t scream at George about how he made him slaughter innocents…Not that he’d blame him. Those damn Assassins!  

> Clouds of steam issue out of the pipes, and gas fills the air.
> 
> “Hey!” someone says right after. “What are _you_ doing here?”

Except he does this even if Shay hasn’t been detected. Who is he talking to? 

> “The whole place will blow up!”

He repeats these lines, along with “Are you crazy?!”, “Stop this, you fool!” and “This is dangerous!”

At the mission’s start, a sniper detected me, but wasn’t put on full alert because I backed off and hid. I could’ve sworn he said, “Stay away! This is dangerous!” Sounding genuinely concerned. (And I thought, ‘Hey, there you go, the Assassins aren’t all bad!’) But he’s dead at this point, all the guards are. And all the ‘stalkers’ from nearby haystacks. Who’s saying, “This is dangerous”—a civilian? I don’t see anyone.

…The Wiki says it’s the guards. 

> Shay does likewise with the other tanks.
> 
> ‘Exit the Area’
> 
> _I must get out_ , he thinks.

(Says? I don’t really want to play through again and check.)  

> _Or I’m as good as dead_.
> 
> He reaches safety in less than forty-five seconds, just before the largest tank—attached to the factory—sparks and blows steam. Pipes fall loose, clanging. Suddenly the whole thing is rent apart in a fiery explosion; the charred shell, roughly the size of a van, slumps onto its side.
> 
> In the neighboring, unnamed fort, George and Christopher watch a column of black smoke rise from the area. Shay finds them thus. He walks up behind them, straightening his coat collar.
> 
> At first, neither is especially concerned about the heavy footfalls coming nearer on their wooden platform. The noise doesn’t even seem to register. Then George looks back, calmly and leisurely, saying nothing.
> 
> Christopher smiles unaware at the smoke until Shay briefly places a hand upon his shoulder. He turns and grins.
> 
> “Ah!” He faces the factory again; George stares blankly ahead as well. “What marvelous destruction, Captain! I saw the smoke all the way from the _Morrigan_!”

More old memories, Shay?

If Shay could reach this place in under a minute, but Christopher—who was across New York on the _Morrigan_ when the explosion happened—is here before him…a considerable length of time has passed, and Shay’s returning to the area. Why? Where was he?  

> “That should discourage those miscreants,” George tells Shay. “New York is safe for now.”

Maybe it was never in danger. 

> “With all due respect, Colonel,” Shay replies, “it’s going to take more than a few explosions to get rid of this kind of trouble.”

“With all due respect, it’ll take more than a few explosions to get rid of this kind of trouble.”

‘This kind of trouble’ isn’t simply out to break the law because Stick It to the Man, or because they want to get rich. They can’t be scared into submission. They’re driven by an ideology which says if their enemy blows their shit up, it’s revenge o’clock. 

> Despite that we saw the entire platform twenty-one seconds before

(yes, I timed it), 

> and protagonists aside it was deserted for at least fifty feet, with no obvious hiding spaces…and Shay didn’t notice anyone else when he arrived…a fourth person’s arm comes into view of the camera on his left. Then the rest of them—“The boy is right, Colonel Monro,” says William Johnson.

After the Manuscript was stolen, Haytham must’ve given him a crash course in Assassin 101. 

> “Shay, was it?” The third Templar from Lawrence Washington’s garden party _also_ pipes up, having appeared out of nowhere.

**Shay** : *shrugs* “Huh, so we have _two_ wizards.”

**Christopher** : *mutters sideways to him* “Kind of freaky, isn’t it?” 

> “Congratulations,” the man says, talking rapidly. “You just burned a whole lot of rats out of New York.

Again—No. He didn’t force _anybody_ to leave _anywhere_. He knocked them out. 

> I’m Jack Weeks. This is William Johnson.” He gestures to William.

This is the point at which Shay—if he hasn’t already—should realize that George and Christopher are most likely Templars. He knows William and Jack are.  

> “I don’t know about _him_ , but… _I’m_ pleased to meet you.”
> 
> Shay and Jack shake hands, and the former smiles. “Pleased to meet you as well!”
> 
> “It is, um…terribly _dusty_ here,” Christopher interjects loudly. “I’m sure Shay can recount his adventures to us _over a pint_!”

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. 

> “Hey, the first round’s on, uh…” He starts to look around at the others, and George—at his right—is the first person his eyes land upon. “The Colonel!” He motions toward him, then walks away, chuckling.
> 
> Shay is neither amused by this nor does he find it distasteful. He stares off at the sea and cloudy skies, face blank.
> 
> George watches him for a moment, then leisurely follows Christopher. Shay goes with him.
> 
> “Something the matter, Master Cormac?”

19… 

> “Just…” Shay begins thoughtfully, staring at the ground. Then he looks up at George and says more quickly, “A little confused; I…” He looks back. “I must have breathed some of that gas.”

Okayyy…Is this the Actual Explanation: That he’s disoriented? Or is he lying? Both options are varying degrees of pointless—if the former, the only other time he’s affected at all is when he doesn’t have the mask; the latter, we’re never told the truth. 

> “Some ale will do you good,” George tells him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Come, we are all friends here. You will be taken care of.”

**Shay** : “Like you took care of Christopher?”

**George** : “Don’t make me regret not letting you drown.” 

> Sometime later, Shay’s hanging out in the cabin.

I _would_ complain about the skipped tavern scene being a missed chance to build rapport between the Templars. After all, if Haytham’s group in _Assassin’s Creed III_ hadn’t spent so much time together, dismantling it as Ratonhnhaké:ton wouldn’t have nearly as much emotional impact. Why would we _care_ they were dying?

But Jack is essentially this game’s John Pitcairn: He plays a role, just not one that matters much in the grand scheme. (In fact, he doesn’t appear on Juhani’s finished corkboard, dead or alive. _Raaaaacist_.) William’s far less important. And George is irredeemable. 

> He bites into an apple, tosses it into his other hand, and sets it on the…map table? The table where maps and such items are displayed. Then leans forward over that table and looks around.

He must be seriously bored if this is all he can think of to do with his time. 

> Until now, he’s managed to miss a small, unfamiliar package wrapped in bright white paper in the middle of the room. He undoes the string tied around it, and the paper opens to reveal…dun dun dun DUNNNN! The Manuscript!

Well, it’s actually _a_ Manuscript. Because I guess the isu were running short on drink coasters. 

> Oddly—despite fearing that it was ‘at the bottom of the Atlantic’—he’s barely more thrilled than I am. He regards it with mild bemusement, glances toward the windows as if to say, ‘Where did this come from?’, then stuffs it in a coat pocket and picks up the letter that was…beneath it(?)

I think; I’m not sure, partly because the wrapping paper’s disappeared. 

> It’s embossed with a red wax seal.
> 
> “From the Colonel…” he thinks aloud.

_This_ , on the other hand, gives him a jolt. 

> He unfolds it and paces as he reads.
> 
> “ _Dear Master Cormac_ ,
> 
> _My apologies for the brevity of this missive_ ,

Did people say things like ‘the brevity of this missive,’ or is Ubisoft trying to sound old-fashioned? 

> _but it_ is _time we were honest with one another_. _You have demonstrated your loyalty and resourcefulness to the Templar cause_ ,

Has he? Well, let’s see, now—what has he done? He’s…attacked a ‘gang headquarters’ full of supposed criminals, because they hurt innocents. Taken back money they stole, killed a bunch more of them, and dealt with their naval fort base because he thought French soldiers there posed a threat to New York; “Enough innocents have died already.” Killed an Assassin spy, and discussed with you the intelligence he gained. Corrected himself when he implied poisoning law enforcement was less serious than poisoning civilians. Intercepted and reappropriated a weapon for use against the ‘gang members’ who commissioned it. Expressed shame over his former ties to the Assassin Brotherhood. Sabotaged gas tanks at your request, thinking he was protecting people. And shaken hands with and been friendly toward yet another Templar.

Very little of that was challenging, so how does it demonstrate resourcefulness—‘the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties’? _Usefulness_ , on the other hand! _Potential_. _Value_ to the Templar cause…And loyalty? Um…kind of?

Despite knowing Jack was a Templar, he was as at-ease with him as with you and Christopher (or almost.)

He took the grenade launcher from Benjamin with the understanding that it rightfully belonged to Elizabeth and the Assassins.

His recognition that ‘murder is wrong in every case’ (except those of murdered Assassins…and criminals…and people the Templars finished interrogating…and the occasional innocent bystander *cough*Sofia*cough*) shows he’s made _some_ progress away from the Assassin mindset, however negligible.

And if killing an Assassin spy and informing a Templar of what the Brotherhood’s up to isn’t loyalty to the Order, then what is, right?

I’ll _tell_ you what is: Killing an Assassin spy because they aided the enemy, not because they rejected his offer of peace and it was self-defense.

Informing a Templar of what the Brotherhood’s up to…while being conscious of the fact that said person _is_ a Templar, not a moderately high-ranking guy in the British Army who he happens to trust and respect. On a similar note: _Rescuing_ a Templar while being conscious of the fact that they are such, not someone being hung by assholes for the crime of stealing a handful of firecrackers. An Assassin would’ve saved Christopher too, if they didn’t know his allegiance.

Attacking the ‘gang’s’ headquarters and sabotaging their gas tanks because they spread fear and chaos, and the army can’t do anything about it. Not because they physically harmed innocents (which demonstrates loyalty to the Assassin cause as much as, if not more than, the Templars’), or because they attacked _him_ —thus making it personal.

Killing a bunch more ‘gang members’ for the above reason. Not because they’d stolen his ship, and were between him and it. If Templars and-or their lackeys (virtually indistinguishable from this lot) did this to an Assassin, you bet your ass they’d kill them.

Bringing up the possibility that the French might assault New York, disrupting peace, damaging property, et cetera—not agreeing it could happen and going along with what you think is the best course of action. (That shows he cares, but not much.) A Templar would want to prevent violence and civilian casualties, too, but as I said—Shay has so much in common with Assassins that this motivation would continue tipping the scales in their favor. “Enough innocents have died already” is something Altair could say without anyone batting an eyelash.

Being ashamed that he’s an ex-Assassin because he no longer subscribes to their world view, _and_ - _or_ the Templars he killed—ostensibly—hadn’t done anything to anyone (what if Liam lied about James to ensure his cooperation?), and might’ve been his allies today, _and_ - _or_ because the only Assassin he ever met who wasn’t a total shithead was Adéwalé, for all of ten minutes, and who knows what secrets he’s keeping? Because of the actions of his Brotherhood as a whole, the only one he’s been exposed to. (Judging by their example, the Assassins can fuck right off.) _Not_ because his discovery that Elizabeth _was_ indeed having Benjamin make weapons for her “proves” George’s gas theory.

Last but not least: Mentioning William’s entirely humorless threat to scalp a Grand Master, which is a concerning statement to any decent Templar. Not acting like it didn’t happen and thereby potentially endangering his friends.

It’s not only what Shay _did_ that counts, it’s why he did it. And also what he _didn’t_ do. 

> _and this despite_ ( _and perhaps because of_ ) _your Assassin origins_.

You can’t truly hate someone unless you understand them.  

> _The Manuscript the Assassins sought has been in my possession for some time_. _I reclaimed it when my men found you marooned_.

Right below the Assassins’ hideout. Oh, the irony. 

> _The Grand Master himself charged me to discover its meaning_ , _a task I regret I have failed to complete_.

**George** : _I cannot fathom what it may have been used for_. _But one needs only to examine its length and attention to detail to realize it is an artifact of supreme importance_.

**Manuscript** : “[…] That was literally just the recipe for blueberry muffins. _I know_! _Imagine the looks on their faces tens of millions of years from now_ , _when they evolve enough to read this_! Ugh. Will you please get a life? _Asteroid butterfly carpenter dalliance engine flit gravity hilltop_ […]” 

> _I leave it in your charge_ , _Master Cormac_. _There is_ no one else _I trust more_.

I’ll be sure to let all your other friends know that; I think I’ll start with William, who’s been an initiated member of the Order for almost ten years, and work my way down. 

> _Now I leave for Fort William Henry_ , _an ill_ - _prepared garrison surrounded by hostile natives and the French Army_. _We have requested reinforcements_ , _but I doubt they will be forthcoming_. _I have no illusions that our resistance will be successful_. _I commit my life to the British Army_ ,

Yay, George is heading toward certain death, bon voyage, dibs on his stuff! I mean…Aw, isn’t that sad?  

> _and my soul to the Father of Understanding_.

**Shay** : “Seriously—who the fuck is that?”

George isn’t one of the rare religious Templars, so fixing the church doesn’t even make sense on _that_ level. 

> _Yours_ , _Colonel George Monro_.”
> 
> This won’t do. George may have resigned himself to perishing in a suicide mission, but Shay isn’t about to stand idly by. He takes the _Morrigan_ ’ _s_ wheel and sets out to join him.

I wonder how he already knows where the fort is, but that’s not a big deal. 

> “Man your post, Gist!” Shay orders, while Christopher is standing at his usual post beside him. “The Colonel’s in trouble!”

“The Colonel’s in trouble!”

It occurs to me that if Shay had nothing on his plate, why didn’t George request that he meet him there? This can’t be the first time William has let the Templars down, right? If it _were_ , Christopher would reassure Shay that he’ll come through, George will be fine, don’t worry. 

> “How do you mean ‘in trouble’?” asks Christopher.

Okay, so far, so good... 

> “He’s at Fort William Henry,

Surely George keeps Christopher more in-the-loop than Shay when it comes to his whereabouts and activities?  

> facing impossible odds.”

Shay doesn’t know how many men or what sort of arms George has at his disposal, so who’s to say the odds are ‘impossible,’ not ‘long’?  

> “Get off your lazy arses, lads!” Christopher shouts to the crew.

That settles it. As far as he knew, George could’ve been in outer space. 

> “And man your stations! We raise anchor!”

Again, they’re already sailing; hasn’t the—? Oh, forget it…  

> “Sorry for the early libation, Captain,” he then says to Shay.

I feel like a moron for needing to look up what ‘libation’ is. 

> “But do you realize it has been a whole year since we met?

*incoherent sputtering* … _How_?!

At a rough estimate, Christopher’s almost-hanging was eight-twelve days before Not-Robert’s death, which (according to the Wiki) occurred no later than June 30, 1756. Shay got the prototype and blew up the tanks approx. two days after that (July 2).

For over a goddamn **_year_** since then, he hasn’t killed anyone or done anything remotely helpful for the Templars, just…hung out on his ship.  

> A whole year! Change my life, you did. And for the better!

Yeah, he extended it.

I’m unable to decide if that’s the point of the joke…or if he’s serious, and means that Shay’s a great person and everyone who knows him is better for it. If it’s the latter, I’m afraid I have no choice but to disagree. 

> You will forgive me if I have been, er…” He chuckles. “Celebrating without you.”
> 
> “A whole year,” Shay echoes. “Gist, I’ve a question for you.

“A whole year….I’ve a question. 

> How long have you known of my, well, former allegiance?”

_Now_ he’s curious. Better late than never. 

> “Oh, you mean the _Assassins_?” Uncomfortable at their mention, Christopher says the word like ‘lepers.’ “I knew that _ages ago_ , Shay!

“Oh…The _Assassins_? _Ages_.

Because George told you, ‘This guy was an Assassin, watch him and let me know what he does’? 

> I may be _drunk_ , but I’m not _blind_!

Apparently that’s a negative.  

> Or did you think I would assume you had escaped from some homicidal circus?”

Or did you think I’d assume you escaped from some homicidal circus?”

**Shay** : “Actually, I assumed you’d think I was really good at fighting and killing people.” *shrug* “Non-Assassins can do that, you know.”

**Christopher** : “And the Hidden Blades?”

**Shay** : *looks at wrists* “…Well, those, yes.” 

> “Why didn’t you say anything?” Shay asks.
> 
> “Well…” Christopher answers. “The Colonel wanted us to avoid the subject so it wouldn’t, you know, _influence_ your decision-making.

Either he’d fall into the habit of doing things the way he used to as an Assassin…or he’d do the opposite, to distance himself. They wanted to see what would happen if he didn’t have anyone to put on an act for. 

> You saved my life out of pure selfless instinct, and helped countless others besides.

Which shouldn’t demonstrate that he’s no longer loyal to the Assassins. Helping innocents in trouble is kind of what they do.  

> If it were up to me, I would have made you an official Templar _months_ ago.”

Well, then. Good thing it’s not up to you. 

> “Who is it up to, then?” Shay asks.

Hm. He wants to join the Order. We’re only four of six sequences in—14 of 23 memories—and he wants to join the Order.

* * *

 “[ _If_ ] _we_ [ _had_ ] _made_ [ _the portion of_ Rogue _covering Shay’s life with the Brotherhood_ ] _too long_ , […] _**it**_ [ _ **would** ’ **ve**_ ] _**felt more like an**_ [ _ **Assassin**_ ] _**game**_ [ _,_ ] _the Templar bit_ [ _comprising_ ] _maybe_ […] _one_ - _third or one_ - _fourth_ [. _We wanted that_ ] _switch_ […] _early enough in the story_.” ~ ** _Richard Farrese_**

* * *

(Yes, let’s avoid that by all means possible.)

Of course, it _could_ be more in the interest of self-preservation (he’s safer as a Templar than as a Templar ally), or revenge on the particular Assassins who made his life hell, or simply because the Templars treat him marginally better than _they_ did—rather than because he believes. (As far as we’ve seen, he doesn’t.)

But…meh. Baby steps. 

> Before Christopher can reply, he goes on to add: “Monro mentioned a Grand Master.”

He was an Assassin for “seven years,” and didn’t _once_ hear mention of the Templars being ruled by a Grand Master? Did he never wonder where they got their orders, the way he got his from the Mentor? Sheesh. 

> “Oh, yes!” Christopher says excitedly. “The Grand Master of the Colonial Rite! You’d like him, Shay—his _father_ was an Assassin!”

“Oh, yes! The Grand Master of the Colonial Rite! You’d like him—his father was an Assassin.” 

> “Really? He must have a story to tell.”

And because not telling stories about character backgrounds where appropriate is, for the most part, one of _Rogue_ ’s specialties— 

> Christopher ignores this. “What is the news from Fort William Henry?”

Um…we don’t…actually…know…? All we have is a letter from before George departed for the fort, telling us he was _going_ there. Regardless of exactly when that was written and left in the cabin, its contents are old news. 

> “The garrison is surrounded,” Shay replies. “And reinforcements are late.”

*wrings hands with exasperation* You don’t _know that_! Yes, George said that the garrison was surrounded as of his departure—so even though it might not be anymore, fine. But ‘reinforcements are late’? He said he doubted they’d come at all (either because there aren’t enough men to spare, or because William Johnson is a douche.) And you haven’t received an update; they could’ve been camped out waiting for him when he arrived!

The end of their conversation isn’t plot-relevant, so I’m skipping it.


	14. Because Fuck You, That's Why

> Upon arrival at Marais Rocheux, Shay scales a cliff overlooking the beach. And runs into Jack—who looks up from his seat in front of a campfire, by a tent. He’s been here for a while, or expects to be.
> 
> “Shay!” He rises and walks over. “You are a sight for sore eyes.”
> 
> “Jack…?” Concern etched into his face and voice, Shay spreads his arms palm-up. As if to say, ‘ _So_? _How bad is it_?’

But I thought you already know exactly what’s going on. Shouldn’t you be telling _him_ the situation?  

> “Colonel Monro surrendered to General Montcalm,” Jack explains. “The French and their Abenaki allies took Fort Henry.”
> 
> Shay looks away toward the _Morrigan_ , frowning. This can’t bode well.
> 
> Jack indicates the beach. “Johnson was supposed to bring reinforcements _here_ ,” he says, with an ever-so-slight bitter edge.

Kick his ass, Haytham. 

> “I don’t see anyone else,” Shay says.

Your powers of observation continue to serve you well.  

> Jack gracefully ignores that. “The Abenaki are restless. They don’t understand the terms of surrender and refuse to heed Montcalm. The Colonel and his men were released this morning; they’re walking into an ambush!”
> 
> “Wait here,” Shay instructs him nervously.

Who is he to tell Jack what to do? 

> “In case Johnson arrives.

I assume that’s what he was doing before you showed up. Except now that you have, _Christopher_ can wait for William—like he’s waiting for you and ensuring the _Morrigan_ doesn’t get shipjacked. (He has three job titles from this point forward: Valet, Comic Relief, and Exposition Dispensary. Fort Arsenal was a one-time deal.) 

> I’ll…I’ll protect the Colonel.”

Yet again, he’s allowed to set his own tasks instead of taking orders from people who outrank him.

I would tally the orders given to him by each side…but I didn’t copy every line of dialogue. And it’s hard to distinguish between orders and suggestions. (Which category does “Now let us use some of that money for the good of the city” fall under?) And I’m lazy. 

> “Thank you.”
> 
> Shay nods, then walks toward the forest, adjusting his collar and speaking quietly to himself. “Maybe I can finally repay my debt to him.”

You know the voice in your head that kind of sounds like your voice when you talk? That’s called your thoughts. You use it when you’re alone, or when no one else cares about what you’re saying. This right now would be the former. 

> ‘Locate Monro’

George saved Shay’s life, and Shay is about to save his, making them exactly even. But one could be forgiven for supposing that Shay risking his life to save a stranger at George’s behest might be enough. To say nothing of the fact that he’s always addressed him respectfully and done everything he wanted without complaint—like “saving New York.” 

> Moments after, he bursts out with, “I hope I’m not too late!”

**Hostile Native #1** : *notices Shay and shoots him down with an arrow*

 **Hostile Native #2** : *appreciative nod* “Believe it or not, I heard that guy was an Assassin.”

 **Hostile Native #1** : “You’re shitting me.”  

> The cliff’s opposite end has a view of the forest and a river, and of other, higher cliffs. As soon as he takes it all in, Shay knows that Assassins lurk close by. (He encounters no fewer than twelve on his search.)
> 
> Finally, he hears clashing metal in a gorge.
> 
> ‘Save Monro’
> 
> George and his soldiers are being mowed down, and without outside intervention they’ll die as surely as Shay would’ve on that ice slab.

...Hold on a sec’. *cleans smudged glasses and puts them back on*  

> No, my bad, they’re winning. Like, it isn’t even a contest. They’ve killed eight R!As—

*cleans glasses again* 

> Yes, eight R!As, and are ganging up on the last two survivors.

What the fuck? Shay didn’t come to rescue George from the Assassins!

...What’s that, Wiki? [They’re Abenaki in R!A uniforms](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Honour_and_Loyalty)? Is there...any particular reason for that, or just, no one wanted to draw another costume design?

Figures. Whatever, I’ll take it. 

> ‘Escort Monro and His Men’ becomes Shay’s objective once the battle is done. George is stunned to see him, not having requested his aid.

Be…cause…he thought he’d be killed, so he didn’t want Shay’s blood on his hands? I could accept that.

‘Cept he didn’t warn Shay _not_ to help, despite knowing he’s the first kid to raise his hand in class—Yeah, all right, shutting up. 

> “Master Cormac?!”
> 
> “Sir!” Shay responds intently. “We _must_ hurry. We should bring what’s left of your men to the _Morrigan_.”

To be fair, he did lose some. Maybe six or seven.  

> “A welcome offer, Captain Cormac,” says George.

“A welcome offer.” 

> “Follow me!” he orders his men. “Safe passage is ahead!”

**Shay** : *points in the direction he came from* “A-Actually, it’s…it’s back that way. Safety’s that way.”

 **George** : *ignores and marches men forward*

 **Shay** : “The _Morrigan_ —Oh, fuck it.” *runs to catch up* 

> In spite of the warning that they’re still under threat, George’s detachment(?) moves so _un_ -hurriedly that Shay can run laps around them.
> 
> “If you don’t mind me asking, what happened at Fort William Henry?”
> 
> And if he gets far enough ahead, soon enough, he can witness a man—a scout—darting across the gorge’s stream. Regardless, he senses an Assassin presence when he comes to that spot.
> 
> Does he make rooting them out a priority? Does he at least tell George there are Assassins ahead, don’t come any closer, in fact maybe you want to turn around and go the other way, ‘cause going this way sure looks an awful lot like a bad idea? Nope and nope.
> 
> “Poor planning and poorer luck, I am afraid,” George says.

**Shay** : “You should be like me, Colonel; _I_ make my _own_ —”

*gags him*

 **Shay** : *muffled angry protest*  

> “Montcalm was able to bombard us for days.”
> 
> “Damn frog,” Shay mutters.
> 
> “Actually,” says George, “he acted with great honor. When we sent for parlay, he returned an offer far more generous than anticipated. We kept our arms, and more importantly, our colors.”

Someone’s priorities are straight. 

> “Only to walk into a trap…”
> 
> “I would hardly expect the French to defend us. Would you?”

(About here, Shay can look at the clifftop to his left and find another[?] scout staring at them, before leaving to report.)

> “No,” Shay replies. “I wouldn’t.”

But they allowed them to keep their pistols and swords, so they can defend themselves. That’s good of them, isn’t it, Shay? 

> “You continue to prove your loyalty to the Templars, Master Cormac. Risking your life for me…”

*raises finger, gaze shifting* Um…He was _ready and willing_ to risk his life for you, you mean? Because all _I_ did was Leap of Faith into a leaf pile next to the battle, stay, and watch; I _could_ have had Shay rush in and help kill the last two natives—but what’s the point? You guys handled yourselves fine. Didn’t even need him to act as cheerleader. 

> “We’re not out of the woods _yet_ , Colonel,” Shay says.

Figurative and literal. lol. 

> “As for my loyalty, well…I _do_ owe you, don’t I?”

“We’re not out of the woods yet. As for loyalty…I _do_ owe you, don’t I?” 

> When George remains quiet, he clarifies. “You…saved my life. Gave me a second chance.”
> 
> “We have been working together for a year now,”

*A month. The rest of the time, he sat on his ass.  

> George says. “During that time, you have rendered many great services. Whatever debt you might imagine you have toward me is paid, wouldn’t you say?”

See, Shay? He isn’t completely unreasonable. 

> “Perhaps…” Shay answers, now that he’s been validated.
> 
> A loud whistle like an eagle’s cry interrupts them; a brown-hooded figure moves steadily toward the edge of the clifftop ahead, flanked by ~~R!As~~  Abenaki snipers. When he draws himself to full height, it’s clear he’s dressed in Native American-style Assassin garb and carrying a hatchet.
> 
> Kesegowaase points the hatchet at Shay and shouts in a mixture of surprise and outrage, “You live?!”

“Huh. The ship we took off that guy that we left for dead but didn’t check if he was dead, and left at this dock, is no longer at this dock and a bunch of Assassins are dead. Now either the Templars needed another ship, even though they have plenty and could custom-build something that’d make that one look like a rowboat…or the British Army reduced an entire squad to nothing without losing a single man whose body we can find…or that guy isn’t actually dead.” 

> Shay glares.
> 
> “ATTACK!”
> 
> The snipers aim, while Kesegowaase—

[A.] Looks for a way down that doesn’t give his enemies a clear line of sight, so he can fight and kill Shay.

[B.] Hides further along the path, planning a surprise attack in case Shay survives this, too, with the added bonus that the number of soldiers who can interfere will have been reduced.

[C.] Runs away like a bitch, not to be seen again until the end of the mission.

(Hint: The answer’s C.) 

> Then they fire. And the exposed soldiers retreat; they may as well have water pistols for all the help their own guns would be at this range.
> 
> Shay guides/forces George over to…a patch of shade a couple feet from where they were standing.
> 
> “Take cover!”

**George** : *sarcastically* “Must we? I thought they might’ve only had the one bullet, so I was going to make faces at them, but if you insist.”  

> There’s a rock wall around the corner to hide behind, and trees, boulders, and brush. But when the skirmish begins after a fade-to-black, the soldiers are in two somewhat scattered rows across the gorge’s width.
> 
> ‘Defend Monro’
> 
> Two Abenaki descend the hill on Shay’s left, and perform what looks damn near identical to a synchronized air-assassination of as many soldiers.

The difference is that (1.) it might not have been done with a Hidden Blade—didn’t hear a _shink_ —and (2.) it doesn’t kill them for...some...reason… 

> They and six more charge the rest. They don’t kill any of those either. Which, in a swordfight, demonstrates they are talented as _fuck_.

Great plan, Kesegowaase.  

> Occasionally they throw a gas bomb.

Like R!As…so _are_ they Assassins? I’ll say yes.

The game’s database agrees: “[T]he Natives did not respect the conditions of the surrender[,] and viciously attacked the prisoners. (That’s the Brotherhood for you. We make rules, they break them. That’s why they all have to die, see? -V[iolet].)”

> But nobody shoots anybody. You could tell me those snipers jumped into the river on the other side of the cliff and drowned, and I wouldn’t be able to disprove it.
> 
> Once all the Assassins are dead, and four or five soldiers are rolling on the ground in pain but alive—
> 
> Shay says, “Alright, Colonel, keep your men moving.

**George** : “Damn it, Shay, we talked about this.”

 **Shay** : *sighs* “Alright, Colonel, _I_ _suggest that you_ keep your men moving.”

 **George** : “Much better. Thank you.”  

> I’ll scout ahead and signal if there’s trouble.”

**Shay** : “And by ‘signal,’ I mean I’ll be too busy murdering the trouble to give advance notice of any sort, so heads up!” 

> “A sensible strategy,” says George. “Very well, I will lead my men around slowly.”
> 
> Shay climbs the eighty-feet-or-so (unaided by anything except his Assassin nerves of steel), eliminates nine positioned snipers without detection, and kills three more Assassins besides while he’s at it.

Although if you fail the optional objective and Shay hides after being caught, a sniper might call, “You are amazingly bad at this! Get out of there!” with amusement. [ XD ]  

> George and co. assemble a short distance from an arched wooden bridge, waiting for Shay to give the all-clear. Which he does by joining them.
> 
> “Hurry!” he urges. “Kesegowaase will _not_ relent!”
> 
> “Kesegowaase?” George repeats as they start moving again. “You _know_ this man, Master Cormac?”
> 
> “Aye, Colonel,” Shay says. “He is one of Achilles’ men.

**George** : “The fuck is an Achilles?” 

> An Assassin.

**George** : “Why didn’t you just say that?” 

> As I was.”

He _knows_ that you’re— _were_ an Assassin. 

> “So they know I am a Templar,” George deduces.

Well…they could? It’s a definite possibility? And if they _did_ , ‘relentlessly’ attacking you even after their ‘allies’ spared you would make sense.

But unless they have more to go on (also possible; we’ve no clue what you or they have been up to since last July), they could easily think Shay hasn’t been within one hundred feet of a Templar since killing James. Could think he was fighting for the British, were he not lacking a uniform. 

> “And now this Assassin knows you live.”
> 
> “And work with Templars,” Shay finishes.

Again, the Assassins…haven’t really confirmed that…

Unless they’re eavesdropping. In which case, _now_ they know you work with Templars, good job! *claps*  

> “I’m no fool, Colonel.

No comment. 

> The Assassins will come after me next. We’re _both_ targets now.”
> 
> They cross the bridge, stopping just before a narrow pass, within sight of a beach and a ship’s masts. It’s too easy.
> 
> “You know that’s a trap, right?” Shay asks.
> 
> “Indeed, Master Cormac,” replies George. “But we have little choice.

**Shay** : “Option Two—You run back that way” *motions toward bridge* “to cover while I get up there and deal with them. Option Three—We _all_ go back to where the _Morrigan_ is.” 

> We survived French cannons, we _will_ survive _this_.”
> 
> As George finishes talking, Shay senses Assassins.
> 
> ‘Defend Monro’
> 
> “To the ship!” a soldier(?) yells. “Run! _Run_!”

**George** : “LEEEEROYYYYYY JENNNNNKINNNSSSSS!” 

> George and co. sprint toward the beach…
> 
> Then walk…
> 
> Then at the halfway mark, break into a run again.

They haven’t exercised much lately. Don’t judge.

Giving- _Rogue_ -Credit Time! I labeled this part of the story ‘Useless Trap is Useless’ in my rough draft, because in a YouTube video I saw, everyone made it without a dent. But when I _played_ it, and tried to kill the Assassins, I was slaughtered. Brutally. Rapidly. On multiple instances. To the point where my dad was watching and saying, “ _Damn_!”

Same thing with trying to run through the pass. First they shot Shay down. Then he barely survived. On a third go, he was shot only _twice_ , how awesome is that?! 

> At the beach, there’s a twenty-second timer.
> 
> ‘Reach Your Ship’
> 
> Also at the beach, ramp down, is...the _Morrigan_.

Because fuck you, that’s why.

Thanks, Christopher. But how did you know Shay wouldn’t return to where he _left it_ , with George, etc. in tow? And that they wouldn’t find themselves stranded and having to cross through the entire hostile territory so they could hopefully spot it elsewhere? Or that they wouldn’t assume they’d been marooned? You could’ve gotten them all killed, jackass! 

> Shay looks back as he runs up the ramp, and sees Kesegowaase and two other Assassins on his heels.
> 
> He jumps aboard. “Loose the sails!”
> 
> “You heard the Captain, men!” Christopher barks from the wheel. “Let’s get out of here! Move! Move!”
> 
> Jack hollers “SHAY!” before ducking and throwing a full gunpowder barrel over the _Morrigan_ ’s side, at the Assassins.

He came down from camp to hang with his Templar buddy. And...maybe knew where George would be going; maybe the French would attack if they didn’t move forward? (That still wouldn’t excuse Shay not mentioning where his ship was.) 

> Shay shoots it, exploding it in their faces; splinters fly everywhere.
> 
> Kesegowaase catches the brunt of the blast. When the smoke clears, the R!As rush to him as he writhes in the sand, screaming, and drag him to safety.

His face is ‘[severely scarred](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Kesegowaase),’ but at the moment—because of the shadow cast by his hood—it just looks like he’s gone insane.  

> They make it three whole feet (if that), and then the _Morrigan_ teleports to be magically anchored offshore.

Nothing a good swimmer can’t easily reach, but enough distance that “Why are these people standing around talking, and not fleeing in case of retaliation?” is answered.  

> Shay and George straighten up from having ducked also.

Did they expect to get shot at? Or did the sudden glitch in time and space knock them off-balance?  

> “I owe you my life, Master Cormac.” George is a bit out of breath from the running and excitement.

27! Congrats on stealing First Place in the Reminding-Shay-What-His-Name-Is contest!

He _would_ be dead without Shay, on account of Kesegowaase and those snipers. What pisses me off is that the game acts like Shay saved him before then. And like without Christopher and Jack, they wouldn’t both have been screwed. 

> “As do I, Colonel.”

You...owe yourself your life?

“As I owe you mine.” 

> “We have much to discuss,” George tells Shay. “However, I must tend to my troops.”

Someone, non-sarcastically, has their priorities straight. 

> He looks over and acknowledges Jack walking up.
> 
> “Sir!” says Jack. “I will accompany you to Johnson’s trading post at Onaquaga.”

**George** : “Did that explosion cause you to become deaf? I said I must tend to my troops, not go to a trading post!”

Where is Jack getting this? George hasn’t mentioned William—or hinted (outside of a letter that Jack probably never read) that he’s upset about the lack of reinforcements. He didn’t say, “However, I must tend to my troops. Then report what’s happened here” or “Then see to another matter.” There’s no reason to believe he plans on leaving the _Morrigan_ any time in the near-future.

Maybe they discussed the trip before George went to Fort William Henry? Then why did Jack need to specify their destination, and that he’s coming with? 

> “Then I shall depart at once,” George says tiredly.

Tending to troops =/= leaving immediately for trading post.  

> “Master Cormac, meet me there.”

**Shay** : “Er…If we’re all going there, I could…y’know…take us there now. Instead of you hiking through that Assassin-infested hellhole to wherever your ship is. Just a thought?”

 **George** : *ignores and disembarks* 

> An indeterminate length of time passes.

Boy, do I miss that parade of Six Months Later markers from _Assassin’s Creed III_.  

> Shay sails to the edge of the Old Growth Forest, and there one evening finds Jack and George standing over a map on a long wooden table, outside a pitiful, nondescript shack.

_Elizabeth stands atop a hill overlooking the town of Two Bends_ , _New York_ , _on the deck of a nondescript wooden house_. _Behind her_ , _Kesegowaase and Achilles sit at a table poring over what appears to be a map_.  

> They have only the moon and a pair of hanging lanterns to see by. Crickets chirp in the darkness.
> 
> Shay greets Jack with a firm handshake, then addresses George.
> 
> “So, Colonel,” he says casually, “it seems my life is an open book to you.”

You don’t...care what they’re doing? Why they’re doing it here? Where William is? Why George asked you to come? How are the soldiers? Any news on the Assassins’ movements?

All you want to know is how George found out you used to be an Assassin? 

> They stroll aimlessly, George folding his arms at his chest as he thinks.
> 
> “Men from my regiment found you delirious and half-drowned.

‘ _I reclaimed it when my men found you marooned_.’

Delirious [syn.]: “Incoherent; raving; babbling; irrational[...]” Post-Manor Escape Shay to a ‘T.’ 

> I did not know _who_ you were.” George stops to stand in front of Shay. “But _what_ you were was…obvious.”
> 
> Shay glances down at his wrists.
> 
> “I brought you to the Finnegans for _care_.

That was also…obvious.

And I sure am glad that Shay spent time developing a bond with them, because those characters will never be mentioned again. Even when he returns to New York.  

> Their late son was one of our Order.”

_Cassidy_ […] _offers Shay a stack of folded clothes_. “ _They were our son_ ’ _s_.” [...]  _A faint Templar cross blends into the light brown belt across his chest_.

 _Their late son_ … _worked for me_. […] _He cared_. [ _He_ ] _wanted to do good by the people_. _We shared a dream_ [—] _making the world a better place_.”

“ _Barry and Cassidy Finnegan_.” […] “ _I’ve never met them_ , _but I knew their son_.”

 **Shay** : “I would’ve literally never guessed that.”

Shay didn’t ask _why_ he was brought to the Finnegans. George brought up the topic out of nowhere. That must mean he’s about to reveal what happened to Alby!  

> “Master Johnson was _furious_!” Jack sounds disapproving as well.

*sweeps shattered hopes into dust pail*

Why does Jack give a shit?! He likes Shay, and William left them high and dry and should be a goddamn _pariah_ among the Order!  

> “It was a risk!” George concedes, annoyed. _Now shut your hole and mind your own business_. Then he looks at Shay. “But I suspected you might have left your brothers behind.”

“It was a risk! But I suspected you might have left your Brothers behind.”

Because none of them came to help him? Oh no, that’s par for the course!

…But really, George, is it not more likely that his Brothers abandoned _him_ there? There are a hundred ways to leave the Assassins that don’t involve ending up adrift on the Atlantic Ocean. 

> He walks toward the table, intending that to be the last word on the subject.

So he…won’t even _try_ and make that mention of the Finnegans tie in to anything. Cut it, and the conversation still ~~makes sense~~ flows.

“Men from my regiment found you delirious and half-drowned. I did not know _who_ you were. But _what_ you were was...obvious.”

“Master Johnson was _furious_!”

“It was a risk! But I suspected you might have left your Brothers behind.”  

> Shay puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
> 
> “Colonel,” he says. “The Manuscript…Why return it to me?”

Good question. You’re not a Templar, why trust you with it? Well, until Fort Henry, the Brotherhood was thoroughly, stone-cold convinced that you were dead. Who better to guard it than the person they’d never look for?

Now that’s gone. So let’s see, what _else_ is in your favor?

Oh, I know! Maybe George realized that you’re more or less impervious to death and misfortune, plus all your enemies are fatally stupid—so they couldn’t take it from you even if you went to Davenport Manor unarmed and said, “Bite me!” 

> “Because, Master Cormac, you earned my trust.”

“ _I leave it in your charge_ , _Master Cormac_. _There is_ no one else _I trust more_.”  

> Shay nods.
> 
> “It could not be in better hands.”

**George** : “If I told you that diving into a spike pit would forever ensure the Manuscript’s safety, you’d impale yourself before the word ‘go.’ I can’t find that kind of mindless obedience on every street corner.”

Why does it need to be in _anyone’s_ hands? It being in James’s hands is what allowed Shay to steal it. Lock it in an iron vault inside a secret room, and melt the key. What’s that? ‘Then how would you get to it if you needed it’? Why would you, unless you intend on disturbing these sites yourselves? (Not that it would help you even trivially in that endeavor, but you think it would.)

Shay, could you please give an alternative explanation for your beloved, morally superior Templar brethren carrying the Manuscript on their persons rather than hiding it, even though this greatly increases the likelihood that the Assassins will again take possession—which according to you would be The Worst Thing Ever? I’m sure we’d all love to hear it.

And while we’re on the subject, **_why does it need to exist_**? Give me one good reason why you can’t chop it up with an axe and incinerate what’s left with an explosive!  

> “Respectfully, sir—” Shay takes the Manuscript from his coat and offers it to George (who acquiesces). “I’m more of a target than you now.”

Shay unapologetically broke the tenets of the Creed. George, on the other hand, hasn’t killed or oppressed anyone that we know of. He’s practically harmless.  

> “Gentlemen,” Jack cuts in. “Kesegowaase is rallying to storm Albany.

When and where did you get this information, can you prove it, and what’s his endgame—how would attacking a town benefit the Assassins? For the love of all that is right and good, Shay, I’m begging you: BE CURIOUS. _ASK THESE THINGS_! 

> His allies threaten a friendly Oneida village.” He gestures in its direction—wonder of wonders, it’s across the river. “And French troops have already entered our territory.”

*looks at destroyed French naval fort, and Fort Henry* You don’t say? 

> “I might be able to delay the French _and_ help the Oneida,” Shay volunteers.

Yes, you _might_ have time to do both. Or by choosing one, you _might_ damn the other. That’s fine, though, because this whole gather-allies thing doesn’t end up mattering anyway! Correct me if I’m wrong, but to the best of my knowledge there weren’t any Oneida fighting the R!As in Albany. And none of the British soldiers that Shay saved came with him…But I’m getting ahead of myself. 

> George agrees. While Shay’s busy with that, he and Jack “will ready the defenses in Albany.”

**Shay** : “Whatever you do, don’t tell William Johnson _anything_!”


	15. A Spectacularly Bad Candidate for Templarhood

I’ll let you in on another little secret. Although writing about my experiences playing the game is inarguably fun—I don’t want to imagine how dull Chapter 13 would’ve been if I hadn’t—only a minute, itsy-bitsy fraction of the review comes from me doing that. Because it makes including subtleties like what’s going on in the background, as well as character tones, expressions, body language, etc., difficult. You’d have to replay the mission twenty times to catch it all. And this is _Rogue_. You don’t _ever_ want to replay a mission.

I used [a cutscene movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fYOPW25vQ) and [a sans-commentary walkthrough](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWUFzco4xrw). But as I read transcripts on the Wiki, I noticed things I’d missed _because_ I didn’t play as I wrote. They should be addressed. So, without further ado….

Chapter 1

Port-Menier, where [the first scene](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/The_Way_the_Wind_Blows) took place, is on Anticosti Island in real life.

But in _Rogue_ , [it’s on an island off Anticosti’s northern coast](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Port-Menier).

What the actual fuck.

Chapter 2

Abstergo Entertainment employees that dropped their communicators were indeed fired. From life.

“[If] you find [a lost] communicator[,] collect it and identify its owner. While [they’ll] face consequences[,] it is a mistake they will only make once.”

Chapter 7

When Benjamin and Elizabeth are done talking about [the British Army confiscating metal from Sleepy Hollow](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Fiat_Lux), Elizabeth asks what he’s messing with. “So[,] what is this?”

“A Leyden jar,” he answers. “It temporarily stores power in the form of vitreous and resinous electricity.”

She asks what he’ll do when the jar’s full, and he says that for the Box experiment, they’ll need an “entire energy storage system. The many units fire at once, so I call it a ‘battery.’ It should make your interpretation box operate.”

This is probably how she and Liam trigger the Box later.

Chapter 8

(This _does_ come from my experience, it’s not in the transcripts, but…I still missed it.)

Between Shay’s departure from the Brotherhood and _Assassin’s Creed III_ , the guest manor beside the Davenports’ was torn down, replaced with stables. Who did that? Why?

Before Shay enters the manor to steal the eighteenth-century equivalent of a phone book, he can visit the docks—where there’s a ship anchored in the middle of the water. Given what happens in a few minutes, I thought it might be _Le Gerfaut_ preparing to rain fiery hell. So I swam out to say hi to Louis. And kept on swimming. Through the ship, like it was a hologram. (Crafty son of a bitch.) I swam through it again to get to shore…where upon a second, better look, I realized it was waaay too small to be a Man O’War. Actually, it looked a lot more like the _Morrigan_ —orange side paint and all. Except the _Morrigan_ was in New York at the time.

After Shay’s little episode, a fairly wide area around Davenport Manor is restricted. Achilles doesn’t want to deal with him. Wants to keep him away from everyone until he stops being angry enough to melt snow. This makes perfect sense. But here’s the problem: Every _other_ restricted area in the game is either only large enough to protect a chest/map/etc., or heavily guarded, and if he’s caught there’s trouble. _Here_ , I saw one—count ‘em, _one_ —Assassin. Not standing sentry, or patrolling. Just…wandering around. He didn’t even notice Shay. I was looking for Abigail and Connor’s gravestones, I could replay the memory—so I ran over to see what’d happen if he _did_ get sight of him. Would he attack? He slipped into brush and I followed, and I swear to Jesus fucking Christ he had vanished. I looked all over the area. No trace. (Given the Assassins’ line of work, it wouldn’t surprise me if he was a ghost.) Awesome security measures, Achilles. When Shay tells the Templars about it, they’ll definitely be shaking…from laughter.

Then again, perhaps he’s more competent than I’m giving him credit for. Throughout the Homestead, I heard near-constant whistling, and sometimes it sounded _exactly_ like Shay or Edward trying to lure guards into a trap. But no one was around. [ O-o; ] If I were Shay, I wouldn’t come within fifty miles of the manor after that.

Of course I’ve saved the best for last—Abigail and Connor’s gravestones say 1755.

Chapter 10

“[The Colonel strikes me as an honorable man](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/A_Long_Walk_and_a_Short_Drop),” Shay says/thinks—after he’s restored the church and George has left him. “Someone who wants to do what’s right.”

Really? Every last dime of that money that the Assassins stole belonged to the workers you just paid? You don’t know _who_ it belonged to—partly because you didn’t interrogate surviving ‘gang members,’ or ask Cassidy and Barry if they heard about anyone being robbed. You didn’t even _try_ to find out! Instead, you act like what George did wasn’t messed up in the slightest.

“And he may have a point. With everything that has happened…with what I’ve done…I can’t change the past, but maybe there’s a future for me here. And maybe, just maybe, I can do what’s right this time.”

Mm, starting now, perhaps.

“I should head back to the Finnegans’. Let them know I’m fine.”

I’m in a good mood. So let us suppose, for the sake of argument, that George didn’t know prior to… _formally_ meeting Shay…that Christopher had been imprisoned. Suppose the Assassins captured him during the meeting. And somebody—a British soldier?—told George on his way to or at the Finnegans’. Shay wouldn’t be far behind, so when he comes upon George staring at the fireplace, he might be letting the news sink in and trying to figure out the least rash way to handle the situation. Christopher meanwhile is not held for several hours like I thought he might have been. (Again, this is hypothetical; maybe I’m giving George entirely too much credit.) The Assassins not hanging Christopher sooner is still convenient, and George is still a manipulative, sociopathic douchebag, but those things become easier to swallow in this version of events.

Chapter 11

After [Christopher becomes Shay’s first mate](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Circumstances) and suggests they meet up with George, Shay says that George should be in Albany, and they set sail.

Christopher then says, “The Colonel waits in Albany…”

I hate this game.

“I wonder what he has in mind for us to do next.”

“Us?” If Shay’s confused here, then rightly so. “I thought you just wanted to check in with Monro, not sign me up for the army.”

Like you have anything better to do.

And if Shay had known at this point that George and Christopher were Templars, he would’ve said, “I thought you just wanted to check in with Monro, not sign me up for the Order.” So yeah. Clueless as always.

“Not at all, Shay!” Christopher replies.

He definitely does not want to sign you up for the army.

“But I admire the Colonel’s ideals and want to make them happen.”

 **Shay** : “Okay…What’s that got to do with me?”

“What kind of ideals?” asks Shay.

Oblivious as always, too.

“Secure borders,” Christopher says.

 **Shay** : “Do you hear that? It sounds like a horde of screaming…liberals…” *shakes his head* “No idea why that phrasing came to mind. Anyway, you were saying?”

“Prosperous farms, fair trade…We need those in these wretched colonies.”

“Sounds like a high-minded utopia,” Shay says.

Safety, cooperation, and enough food for colonists to avoid stressing about where their next meal is coming from—these ideas are just so revolutionary, aren’t they?

“It rather does!” Christopher says. “Want to help make it happen?”

 _Now_ he asks.

This is a _very_ roundabout, awkward way of asking if Shay wants to join the Templars.

“Colonel Monro is an intriguing man, and he certainly seems honorable,” Shay replies.

*grumbles, facepalming*

“We’ll head for Albany. After that, we’ll see.”

Thanks. For a minute there, I forgot where I was supposed to be sailing to.

Chapter 12

“Le Chasseur was right,” Shay says (presumably to himself), after the aforementioned’s death. “I—I had no choice. [If the Assassins find out I’m alive](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Circumstances), they’ll come after me.”

He’s braindead. He is shop’s-closed, no-lights-on-upstairs, don’t-ring-the-doorbell-because-you-won’t-get-an-answer _braindead_. He wasn’t attempting to trick Not-Robert when he said he’d let him go—he genuinely didn’t consider that Not-Robert might betray him to the Assassins until he was told as much! *rubs temples, sighing* Oh my Godddd…

Not long after, when Shay’s on the _Morrigan_ , Christopher says to him: “The Colonel thanks and congratulates you, Shay.” (For conquering the fort.) “He has returned to New York.”

Um… _how_ , exactly, did he manage that? And why couldn’t he stick around long enough to congratulate Shay in person? He didn’t mention any ‘urgent business’ on their way to the fort; no ‘Don’t take your time raiding that outpost, I’ve got shit to do.’

“But you look troubled.”

“Do—do you ever wonder if you’re doing the right thing, Gist? If you chose the right path?”

Don’t worry, the game won’t make you think about this in a serious capacity.

“Ah, I used to, my young friend, but not anymore. Not since I met the Colonel…”

 **Christopher** : “Have you heard the Good News?”

“And what’s to question? The French are entrenched in our territory. It’s about time we root them out!”

“Of course, you’re right, Gist,” Shay says.

You’re right, it isn’t as if the morality of my decision to kill Not-Robert was ambiguous in any way, what’s to question?

“Let’s head back to New York.”

George actually _wasn’t_ expecting Shay to meet with him. He seemed like he was, though. *shrug*

* * *

 Now we’re all caught up!

At least I think we are.

* * *

Last Time, on _Assassin’s Creed_ : _Rogue_ —

> “If we are to defeat Kesegowaase and his allies,” says Shay, to George and Jack, “I need to help the Oneida. And see what I can do about the French.”

Oh, no, wait, sorry, that’s this time. It’s so similar I got confused.

 _Last time_ , Shay, George, and ten British soldiers (give or take) were saved by a _Morrigan_ -shaped deus ex machina. The latter took an extended vacation to Nobody-Gives-a-Rat’s-Ass-About-You-Anymoreville, and the former two went on about how grateful they were to each other.

Then the writers didn’t know what to do next. So they made Jack pop up like a weed to interrupt (he tends to do that; I guess he’s upset whenever people aren’t paying attention to him, or something) and advance the plot with a push-broom.

“We have to be close to the native village for the next scene, and there’s a trading post right by it—which is owned by someone the player’s heard of before, so let’s mention that for shits and giggles. Also, the game map doesn’t say where the trading post is, so I might as well rectify that problem, too.”

“Hold on, why don’t we go to the native village?”

“Stop asking questions.” *shoves George off the _Morrigan_ *

Our human camera Shay obliged their request to accompany them because he had to or we wouldn’t have a story, and mostly spoke to George about stuff the player already knew. (All we learned is that George found Shay ‘delirious and half-drowned,’ but didn’t know who he was. And George’s optimism goes slightly beyond healthy levels. And William Johnson doesn’t trust Shay as far as he can throw him.)

Then he gave the Manuscript back to George ~~and told him to bury it under the map table Jack was standing at~~ , and the writers were again lost, so Jack smashed the calm, quiet atmosphere of These-People-Have-Nothing-More-Important-to-Do-As-Evidenced-by-George-Not-Telling-Shay-to-Shut-Up-About-His-Past-and-Focus-On-the-Present like a fly—by abruptly revealing that they had more important things to do instead of standing around talking.

They had to fight the invading French Army, and stop Abenaki from bullying a native tribe sympathetic to the British. (Either this tribe was more involved in the war than we’re told about…or they’re minding their own business and just have a different opinion, and somehow the Assassins are totally fine with letting them take crap for that.)

For some reason, Jack never found an opportunity to inform George about this before, despite it directly concerning him—it’s his soldiers getting their asses handed to them by the French—and the fact that they were busy going over a map when Shay arrived. It couldn’t have been a map of the River Valley or Albany. Because George would’ve said, “Why are we looking at a map of [the River Valley/Albany]?” and Jack would’ve replied, “Oh yeah, so here’s the sitch—” WHY CAN’T THESE PEOPLE COMMUNICATE PROPERLY?!

Ahem. So Jack let them know what’s going on—because those natives and British soldiers had all the time in the world to wait—and Shay and George announced their roles just as quickly, and split up.

Now here we are, with Shay telling them his ( _self_ - _designated_ ) motivation again in case we hit the mute button and weren’t looking at the screen the first time. 

> ‘Gather Support’

The interesting thing about this is, you can complete ‘Reach the Native Village’ and ‘Locate the British Army’ in either order. And sail to the destinations aboard the _Morrigan_ , or take a raft—which spares you from turning a large ship around only to park it a couple moments later. But since Shay and Christopher have a dialogue if you choose to do such a thing anyway…we’ll focus on that.  

> “So, not to pry,” Christopher says the very instant that Shay touches the wheel, “but…would you happen to know if Kesegowaase has any _weaknesses_?”

First, how is this prying (“inquiring too closely into a person’s private affairs”)? All you did was ask an ally to tell you about your mutual enemy.

Second, please tell me you’re asking because of Fort Henry and this isn’t a reference to the conversation he just had with George and Jack. You couldn’t even hear that!

And lastly…Being stuck on this ship all day, doing nothing, must be your own private hell.

> “He hasn’t any!” Shay answers.

Weakness #1: Cowardice. It might be that you breathe only because he ran instead of facing you. 

> “He was a scout and mercenary long before he joined the Assassins!”

This has nothing to do with him supposedly not having weaknesses. 

> “May Lady Luck be with you, then,” Christopher says.

Why, you evil bastard?  

> “I make my _own_ luck,” says Shay in a low, menacing voice.

Hm, this may prove difficult… ‘What’ll prove difficult?’ Avoiding being reduced to a shrieking ball of rage in need of a straitjacket. ‘Yeah, you’re already talking to yourself, better head that off at the pass.’ Agreed.

*takes a deep breath and exhales slowly*

* * *

 “[They used it a little bit too much](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYI0bVlKTXI&list=PL411EB3D2E92ACC56&index=7). [Beginning, one in the middle, one in the end], and it would’ve had a better impact.” ~ _Steven Piovesan_

“[We used] it again […] and […] again and again and again. [You were just supposed to hear it three or four times] during the main path, […] but […] we got feedback[;] it wasn’t clear enough that [he said this] all the time. […] Maybe we added […] too much…It’s hard to tell…[We probably did](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aNOdYDnogk)[.]” ~ _Richard Farrese_

* * *

This…this isn’t what bothers me. Well, it does—I want to do horrible, awful things to whoever coined that phrase—but it’s way more annoying than infuriating.

My main problem is…Shay implies by using this as his “line” that he doesn’t believe in luck, fate, coincidence. If he wants something, he doesn’t hope the universe drops it in his lap. He takes steps to ensure that he’ll get it. 

* * *

 “[Shay] has to be [the] master of his own fate[,] which is why he has […] issues following rules. [That] is […] one of Shay’s biggest attributes, [setting] him apart […] because most […] in the Templar-Assassin business follow codes and […] rules, and […] believe in [fate] and [destiny]. [But he doesn’t](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYI0bVlKTXI&list=PL411EB3D2E92ACC56&index=7). He’s different.” ~ _Steven Piovesan_  

* * *

If he wants his own ship? He doesn’t wait to stumble across one that’s been abandoned. He kills the British soldiers commanding the _Morrigan_.

If he doesn’t want to die in the Lisbon earthquake, like thousands of civilians? He doesn’t run through the streets and pray that the buildings crushing _them_ show _him_ favor, or that the crowd won’t trample him. He moves to higher ground and uses his free-running skills.

If he wants to find a package being delivered to his enemy? He doesn’t board the _Morrigan_ and expect the ship carrying it to be on the horizon. He…Actually, that’s what happened. It was on the horizon, he’d barely left port, and it was partially obscured by fog so that its crew didn’t notice him tailing it for the short distance he had to.

Similarly, taking the _Morrigan_ from the British only crossed Shay’s mind _after_ the British were dead. Killing them had been his primary motivation, and having his own ship was a happy accident. I’ll allow half a point for that one. And he was notoriously lazy about training, so free-running through Lisbon was less ‘him utilizing a learned skill to get out of a dangerous situation’ and more ‘him utilizing a natural talent.’

There could be more examples of times he came _close_ to ‘making his own luck,’ even examples of times he _did_. But all I remember are times in-between Shay _saying_ he made his own luck when a deity must have smiled upon him. Or pitied him.

#1: Shay didn’t use stealth, tracking, etc. skills to pass Kesegowaase’s test.

#2: Shay didn’t realize that having an ice ram could be useful, especially as far north as St. John’s. Liam bought one for him, unprompted, less than twenty-four hours before he needed it.

#3: Shay didn’t gather intelligence and plan how to catch Samuel, _a la_ Altair. Samuel happened to be in the area and they crossed paths.

#4: Shay didn’t learn that he’d been misinformed of James’ whereabouts—nor where he really was—through interrogation, reading correspondence, or other proactive means. He correctly assumed (based on no evidence) that William was a Templar, and stayed near him instead of looking for his target. And William happened to be a loudmouth idiot.

#5: Shay didn’t have to exercise patience until he learned where the Box and Manuscript were kept. Both Samuel _and_ James brought the respective items wherever they went, and he took them off their corpses.

#6: Shay didn’t ask the Box to display a picture of the Precursor temple’s entrance. Or remember seeing isu symbols inside the Carmo Convent. He correctly assumed (based on no evidence) that the temple was in Lisbon, inside a convent he’d visited more than once.

#7: Shay didn’t exercise caution in his approach to Davenport Manor, though he wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near it. He didn’t have to attack his Brothers and Sisters, or gain entrance by unconventional methods (ex. a window). He walked right through an unlocked door and up the stairs.

#8: Shay knew the Assassins would be…less than pleased if he was caught stealing the Manuscript, but didn’t plan an escape route in advance. By all accounts, this oversight should have led to his death.

#9: After surviving internal and-or external bleeding _and_ a long drop with only the hard surface at the bottom to break his fall, and not drowning or becoming hypothermic…Shay was found on death’s door by a loyal Templar who spared his life, _and_ gave him the benefit of the doubt, _and_ knew a couple with a son c. Shay’s height and build who were willing to care for a stranger at their request. (I don’t know how he could’ve bolstered his odds, this was a roll of the cosmic dice. So was—)

#10: The Assassins kept Christopher in a fort that didn’t require anything in the same _zip code_ as effort to infiltrate, down the street from where Shay was staying (as opposed to one across the city—have fun parkouring _that_ in three minutes), next to the _Morrigan_ (so Shay would notice it).

I could keep going, but I’d like this chapter to be forty pages or less. So allow me to just re-emphasize: This is Shay’s catchphrase, Ubisoft’s answer to the question: “How would you describe this character in one sentence?” ‘A driven, hard-working pragmatist.’

And it’s a lie. 

> Christopher quickly switches topic. “The Colonel exerts a certain amount of control over the army, or part of it, anyway.

You haven’t asked where Shay’s going. This is not a good sign. 

> But we’ll need both the soldiers _and_ their native allies if we’re to set up a proper defense against Kesegowaase.”

*curls into a ball and rocks back and forth, sobbing* Eight memories and two Modern Day sections! _EIGHT MEMORIES AND TWO MODERN DAY SECTIONS_! 

> “Kesegowaase has allies in every tribe that sided with the French,” Shay says. “As well as many others: trappers, hunters, scouts…We’ll need all the help we can muster.”

Gee, if only the Templars massively outnumbered the Assassins. Wouldn’t that be great?  

> The British camped at the Otetiani settlement take one hell of a beating until Shay saves them by…cutting down the French Army’s flag and killing their leader.

That’s his solution for everything. Fly buzzing around his head? Cut down its flag and kill its leader. 

> Making his way to the Oneida, he comes across dead natives sprawled on the ground.
> 
> ‘Save the Villagers’
> 
> Before he can do that, though, he has to find them. The village is quiet, appearing deserted except for campfires, lit torches, and R!As patrolling here and there.
> 
> “Ready to fire!” someone calls. He hasn’t been detected, so they aren’t aiming at him.
> 
> He gets closer and discovers that the Oneida have been bound and forced to kneel (for some reason in scattered pairs, rather than collected in one more easily defensible spot.) They’re at the mercy of R!As pointing guns at their heads.

Maybe I could buy the Assassins doing this to intimidate them (although even that would break the third tenet), especially to help Kesegowaase somehow. But— 

> There is a _casualty meter_. These people are being rounded up—not just as they’re happened upon or caught trying to escape the area, but through a deliberate, thorough search—to be potentially killed. (“Make sure you find them all!” one R!A commands; “Look out for strays!” says another.) Their lives mean _nothing_.
> 
> To their credit, the R!As won’t shoot them because they refuse to cooperate. But they _will_ if Shay’s caught anywhere near them, because…

They don’t want to take a chance he’ll set them free? Why would that matter, though?  

> How have the Oneida warranted such violence and hatred? Did they attack the Brotherhood, its allies, or civilians; interfere with the Brotherhood in another way—and the Assassins don’t want them to get away with it?

Nothing as justifiable as all that, I assure you.  

> A few want to prevent them from aiding the British Army. “So long as we hold the old woman hostage,” one says matter-of-factly, “these Oneida will not help the English.”

The old woman being the clan mother. 

> And according to transcripts, one or more says, “We’ll teach you to help the Redcoats!”

(Though I’ve never heard this.)

Bullshit. The Assassins **do** **not** fight in conflicts outside the Assassin-Templar War unless victory for one side or the other is clearly to their advantage. (Ex. Giving the people more freedom, therefore making the Brotherhood’s job easier and enabling them to move without detection or persecution.)

 _Rogue_ hasn’t explained why the Colonial Brotherhood believes a French victory qualifies as such. And even if they _did_ believe that, holding civilians hostage and murdering them in cold blood (or allowing them to be murdered on their watch without retribution, if you still subscribe to the ‘they’re criminals trained by Assassins’ theory) would make them hypocrites. Which is fine—a few of them could be.

 _All_ of them? Not a single R!A says, “Hey, guys, this really isn’t cool”? 

> Most don’t seem to give two shits about the French right now, though. They’re more interested in a cave near the village, the entrance of which is blocked by a gate that requires several keys to open.
> 
> “What’s in the cave?” an R!A asks, training his gun on two natives.
> 
> “How do I get into that cave?” another demands elsewhere.

What do they _think_ is in there—why are they so fixated on it?

And why won’t the natives tell them, “Dudes, it’s just a set of freaking armor, chill out!”? Is that a secret worth dying to keep?! Worth their _families_ ’ and _neighbors_ ’ lives?!

The worst part is—this cave has NO SIGNIFICANCE to the rest of the plot! None whatsoever! The mission’s only purpose is to give the player another excuse to kill R!As and let them know the armor exists. 

> Once Shay frees twelve villagers, the aforementioned old woman approaches him.

(I freed thirteen, but only twelve were required.) 

> He bows his head to her. “Venerable one.”

Um…we’re skipping over him getting rid of the rest of the R!As? Not that I’m complaining, really—the less we have to deal with them, the better, but…they _are_ still there. 

> “My name is S-Shay Patrick Cormac,” he says humbly. “I…I am a friend.”
> 
> “A friend indeed,” she says. “You have the gratitude of _my_ people, Shay Patrick Cormac.

Some of your people are still in danger, tho.  

> For as long as you shall walk this earth, you will have a place here, among us.”

Guess you don’t care. Okay. 

> “My thanks.”
> 
> “It is _I_ who thank _you_ , young man. Would you be so kind as to walk with me?”
> 
> ‘Follow Onatah’
> 
> “I am called Onatah,” she says, as he follows her down the path leading to the cave.

Good to know, person we’ll never talk to again.  

> “There is a legend among my people. It tells of how the land under our feet was born, and how good and evil came into this world.

This is relevant because Shay is “good” and the R!As were “evil,” right? 

> The Sky Woman scattered her wisdom throughout our land. If you follow her path, you shall learn the true history of our people…

Shay saved your tribe, so he’s interested in its history? How does that add up? 

> and perhaps even uncover the reward locked within this cave.

**Shay** : *gaze shifts awkwardly* “That’s nice, but it’s okay, you can keep it…” 

> If you are the hero I believe you to be.”

I bet Juhani likes you. 

> “You honor me, venerable one,” says Shay.
> 
> “It is you who honor us, Shay Patrick Cormac. Farewell.”
> 
> She walks away.

Well…that was completely pointless. Speaking of things happening for no discernible reason! 

> Shay’s only alternative to eating apples and pacing the cabin is checking how things are going in Albany. So check he does.

And you know how I, uh…said the Assassins would try to _prevent_ New York being set on fire, because of civilians and their homes and livelihoods, and whatnot? Yeeeeeah…About that.  

> When he gets there, he sails through burning wreckage (broken wood planks, cracked barrels, etc.) The air around the town is hazy with smoke.
> 
> “Damn the Devil!” Christopher leans over the _Morrigan_ for a better look. “What _happened_ here?!”

If I had to guess, I’d say Kesegowaase probably stormed Albany.

> “Kesegowaase!” Shay says furiously as he observes the scene.
> 
> Christopher turns to him. “Then we are too late!”

Ya’ think? 

> “No! Fort Frederick is nearby. I’m sure the Colonel can hold it.”

**Shay** : “Unless Kesegowaase found the ledges and handholds. Then we’re screwed.”

Like he held Fort Henry? And even if he _has_ defended _this_ fort, the rest of the town unanimously agrees you’re too late.  

> Flaming crates and barrels, and dead soldiers and R!As alike, litter the docks. Shay hears clashing swords. Men yelling. Deeper in the town, he witnesses an R!A pounding on someone’s front door, then trying to kick it in. As for Fort Frederick, it’s been overrun and _its_ doors are wide open.

*looks at Shay* You were saying?

 **Shay** : *flips me off as he walks inside* 

> He helps George ‘clear’ it by killing twelve enemies.

What’s with him and 12?  

> Then leaves the soldiers to handle the rest, and goes to talk to him. “This is Kesegowaase’s work, isn’t it?”
> 
> “I believe it is,” George says. “But I have not yet _seen_ the devil.”

Then you believe it is because the R!As are here, like at Marais Rocheux, or…?

 **Shay** : “And you’re luring him out with that.” *nods to Manuscript that George carries at his side* “Good thinking.” 

> They then play Hot Potato with the Manuscript again.
> 
> “The Manuscript,” George says with a somber expression, holding it out.

Oh, is _that_ what this is? 

> “You—”
> 
> But Shay puts a hand on George’s arm, and says quietly, “Keep it safe.” He glances around for eavesdroppers. “Bring it to the _Morrigan_.”

Shay Cormac is the cautious, responsible half of this duo. *ducks in case of flying pigs*  

> “That’s an order,” he teases, smiling.
> 
> As at the trading post, George doesn’t insist, and resumes holding the book at his side. He glares reproachfully. “Who are you to give me orders? I outrank you!”

Preach!  

> Shay walks away, unfazed. “I’m not part of your army, Colonel.”

But you _are_ part of the Templars, initiated or not! How do you expect to be admitted into the Order **_if you can’t recognize and abide by authority_**?!? 

> George starts to do likewise, then turns and glares when Shay assures him, “I’ll take care of the defenses until you get back!” He leaves the fort without responding.

Kesegowaase’s around somewhere, and Albany is infested with R!As. But you’re gonna’ let the Templar who can’t fight his way out of a paper bag lately cross through unguarded, WITH THE ARTIFACT THE ASSASSINS ARE HUNTING.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE _LAST_ TEMPLAR WHO HAD IT HERE?! 

 **Shay** : “I…killed him?” [ O-O; ]

Yes—you killed him! After only concluding that he had the Manuscript based on _hearsay_ , not because you’d actually _seen_ it; George, meanwhile, is unapologetic about showing it off. 

> Shay has literally just faced forward again when movement in the periphery catches his eye; they widen as Kesegowaase throws a soldier’s corpse off a tower while staring right at him.

**Kesegowaase** : “Orly?” 

> Then runs. Shay glares up at where he stood.
> 
> “Kesegowaase,” he mutters.

In…case we couldn’t tell who that was?  

> Kesegowaase does a Leap of Faith off the battlements into a haystack.
> 
> “Templar dog!”

“ _I’ll take_ that, _you Templar dog_ ,” _Shay says viciously_.

 **Shay** : “That was _my_ insult. Get your own.”  

> He passes Shay to run laps atop the fort walls and pick off soldiers, yelling, “Do you truly believe you can best me, traitor?”, “Burn!” and “Templar dog!” until he’s confronted or killed.

“There are rules. We are nothing if we do not abide by the Assassin’s Creed. Three simple tenets, which you seem to forget. I will remind you. […] The second tenet is that which gives us strength: Hide in plain sight. […] Do you remember?! Because as _I_ hear it, you chose to _expose_ yourself, drawing attention _before_ you struck!” 

> The latter of which is surprisingly hard. He can dodge air-assassinations, and landing a blow in a 1x1 fight is next to impossible until he’s disarmed…except for the Hidden Blades that must be strapped to his wrists, but aren’t used.

You don’t even necessarily have to initiate that fight; Kesegowaase might come after Shay, shooting him, etc. The laps thing is fucking ridiculous, but it’s not all he does. 

> Shay strikes him across the face, then shoves him backward against a wall. He catches the hatchet mid-swing, buries its blade in the wall next to Kesegowaase’s head, and presses its handle against his neck.
> 
> Kesegowaase’s teeth clench and his face contorts in pain. “We trained you well, _traitor_!”
> 
> Shay breathes heavily, from both adrenaline and emotion—fury, torment. “Kesegowaase…

**Kesegowaase** : “That’s my name, and I’d say ‘don’t wear it out,’ but we did with yours, so…fair’s fair.” 

> It didn’t have to be this way!”

Let’s say that the Assassins didn’t know you survived and this encounter never happened. What then? You’ve expressed interest in joining the Templars—sooner or later, you would’ve been tasked with eliminating them. Or it would’ve become a necessity _during_ a mission, when they came on-scene and messed things up.  

> “It _did_!” Kesegowaase says, filled with hatred. “You are an enemy!

See? Even this moron gets it. 

> Achilles will see you _dead_!”

He will? Funny, because so far the Assassins have had _zero luck_ trying to kill him, and Altair and Ezio would find Achilles’ lack of field activity appalling.  

> Shay implores him to see ‘reason.’
> 
> “What _he’s_ doing is _wrong_!”

Now’s where Kesegowaase asks, “Since when is keeping Pieces of Eden from Templars wrong?”

> “Who are you to judge?” Kesegowaase asks, indignant.

…Or that. He could ask that too. Perfectly acceptable question.

‘You, for whom blind rage and victim mentality seem to be natural states; who accuse your friends of genocide without proof; who never stops to consider the consequences of his own actions?!’ 

Alternately, he might mean: ‘Have you _seen_ the list of atrocities the Templars have committed? I give you Exhibit A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H—ah, screw it, let’s just use the dewey decimal system.’

> “The Templars will _fail_. _You_ will _fail_.

‘You, who have no right to weigh in on whether someone behaved justly because you and your associates won’t achieve your goals!’ …Wait, what? 

> Monro…” Shay’s eyes widen at the mention of the name; Kesegowaase struggles against the handle.

It looks like he could pretty easily move away from it, though.  

> “Is already…

Oh my fucking God, this is happening again, isn’t it? 

> Dead!”

Oh my fucking God. This is happening again.

Wonderful idea. Inform the man that you hate beyond all reason and is about to kill you, that his ally’s in danger, instead of letting it be a surprise so he’ll have far less opportunity to save them. You want the Templars to fail? KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND STOP COMPROMISING THE BROTHERHOOD. 

> Shay looks aghast. “What do you mean?!”

**Kesegowaase** : “Wouldn’t _you_ like to know?” 

> Kesegowaase is silent for a moment.

Will he refuse to talk; wait as Shay is driven crazy and demands an answer over and over, until finally he gets fed up, kills him, and investigates? Buying time for Liam to not only kill George, but escape the area?  

> “Liam…” is all he can get out, before gasping his last breath.

Telling your traitorous enemy which loyal, trust-you-with-their-life Brother he should kill to seek revenge. If you’d waited literally six more seconds, you’d’ve carried that information to your grave. Instead you painted a massive, flashing target on Liam’s back. *slow clap* Hope you’re proud of yourself.

“The third and final tenet, the _worst_ of all your betrayals: Never compromise the Brotherhood. Its meaning should be obvious—your actions must never bring harm upon us, direct or _indirect_!”  

> Shay lets out a mix of an enraged and frustrated roar—probably thinking Liam’s about to cut George’s throat open or stab him in the back, if he hasn’t already, and he’s powerless to stop it; why didn’t he just come with him?!—and storms off as Kesegowaase’s body slumps to the ground; the hatchet remains in the wall.

We still don’t know what he was doing in Albany. Is this going to be a theme? 

> ‘Save Monro’

All right, actually, we do. He was giving George a reason to be in Albany in late 1757—where and when he died IRL. Historical accuracy is important to Ubisoft, you know.

“Although the Hagia Sofia looks almost as awe-inspiring in the game as […] in reality, experts might notice something […] askew. ‘In the time frame of [Revelations] there would have been only two minarets,’ says Derby McDevitt, the […] lead scriptwriter. [S]everal decades later […] two were added to the mosque’s western end. ‘We put four because […] this was the iconic image of the Hagia Sofia. [We tweak history](https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/assassin-s-creed-revelations-is-historically-impressive-1.444681).’”

> As Shay races against another three-minute timer to save someone from being murdered by the Assassins, the soldiers he passes call out helpfully, “The Colonel was heading for the docks!” and, “A huge man with an axe was chasing the Colonel!”
> 
> Despite having been outside the fort when Kesegowaase died, they know he’s looking for him.

Everybody knows everything in this fucking game. Including Shay’s grandmother’s anniversary.

An axe, huh? The only time we saw Liam fight, it was with a sword and Hidden Blades, but I can see him wielding one. Although…Is there any, and I mean **_any_** way whatsoever, to be less stealthy and subtle than that? 

> George is inside a burning house close to the docks, where he went instead of the _Morrigan_ because…

Um, because…

*shrug* I give up. It wasn’t because he delivered the Manuscript to Christopher and that job was finished. And even if he _had_ , he should’ve gone back to the fort, not…wherever this is.  

> The soldiers outside are incapacitated, most unable to stand let alone drag George out.
> 
> ‘Carry Monro to Safety’
> 
> Luckily, the house is two stories but George was kind enough to be lying in the first room of the first floor, down a short hallway. Front door open. No wreckage pinning him or blocking Shay’s path.
> 
> Shay carries George outside and sets him in a sitting position on the ground, while flames and smoke issue from the windows behind them. George grabs Shay’s arm and looks up at him desperately.
> 
> “The Manuscript…An Assassin took it…”

How does he know? If I were a Templar and a huge, muscular guy ran at me with an axe, ‘Assassin’ is one of the last things that’d come to mind. 

> “Liam,” says Shay.

Kesegowaase said that Liam intended to _kill_ George. This is the liveliest corpse I’ve ever seen.  

> “I’ll get it back, I swear it!”

Do we _have_ to? 

> George removes his Templar ring and offers it to him. “Shay…”

What? Who do you want him to give it to? He tried to save you, and you may believe he’ll rescue the Manuscript—but he plays by his own rules, and is in general a spectacularly bad candidate for Templarhood. (Not that _you_ were a shining example, but that’s beside the point!) 

> Then dies in his arms, of…

A bloodstained wound on his upper chest that I didn’t notice the first ten+ times I watched this scene, because so much of his uniform was red already. Large enough for a Hidden Blade, but probably not an axe (unless the axe was no bigger than Kesegowaase’s hatchet.) 

That doesn’t explain how he ended up in the house. (Unable to reach the _Morrigan_ before Liam caught up to him? Dragged in?) Or why Liam set it on fire. If he had a grudge against George and wanted him to suffer? Sure. But we haven’t heard of George doing anything ‘Templar-ish,’ making this unnecessarily cruel and sadistic—which is a side of Liam that I don’t believe was ever hinted at. Not to mention that he clearly _doesn’t_ care if George suffers, since he didn’t pin him or break his legs…

> Shay closes his eyes, lays him down, and takes the ring—which came to rest on the ground next to George—before he stands.

He’s dead! He’s finally dead! *laughs in relief* No more worshipping the ground he walks on, no more batshit conspiracy theories, no more Master Cormac! *breaks out the champagne—then tosses it over my shoulder, and listens to glass shattering as I break out the vanilla creme soda instead* 

> Sometime in the future, he enters a dark room and stands at one end of a long, candlelit table. Around which, Christopher, Jack, William (who—unless my eyes deceive me—isn’t being strangled), and…ohmahgawd, Charles Lee!…have gathered.

What about John Pitcairn, Thomas Hickey, and Benjamin Church?  

> Shay lays his sword on the table, ceremonially pledging it to the Templar cause. For no other reason than, “Fuck these Assassins. Fuck these Assassins in particular.” A shadowed figure moves into view at the other end; he waits for them to speak.
> 
> Haytham Kenway’s voice is clear, strong, and commanding. “Do you swear to uphold the principles of our Order, and all that for which we stand?”

Oh no. No, Haytham, get out of here— _Rogue_ ’s stupidity will eat you alive! Just go and I’ll hold it off as long as I can!  

> “I do.”

Rest of oath, yada yada yada, Shay agrees… 

> “Then we welcome you into our fold, Brother. You are now a Templar, harbinger of a New World. 

He’s an Assassin in Templar clothing. He has no interest in this ‘New World’ of yours.  

> May the Father of Understanding guide us.”
> 
> Shay repeats this last along with everyone else, having not the faintest idea what he’s saying.

Why hasn’t Christopher explained it? Does _he_ know? Or is it like reflexively saying “Bless you” after someone sneezes, because that’s the ‘polite thing’?


	16. Please Fire Us

_Wow_ , that chapter was a long one! Thirty-eight pages. Holy crap. (Probably had something to do with the tangents…) What do you say we take a breather, stretch our invisible virtual legs in the place where they have bathrooms—because realism—but no fire exits, and see how our friends Juhani and Violet are doing? (Naturally, by ‘friends,’ I mean: ‘If we joined the Brotherhood and got to choose the first Templar we killed, it would be a tough call because they’re both such good options.’) 

> We begin this latest Modern Day section, as we begin all of them, listening to voices while staring at a memory corridor. But hey—Ubisoft’s mixed things up! The corridor isn’t warping, or flashing in and out of existence, or red. And no one is losing their shit.
> 
> “Do you understand _now_?” Juhani asks Violet, calm.

**Violet** : *stares blankly at screen, shaking her head* “No, I…still don’t understand how he got into the Templars.” *looks at him* “Would you mind breaking it down for me?”

 **Juhani** : *sighs* “It’s like this. Lawrence Washington, Samuel Smith, James Wardrop, and now George Monro are dead; without Shay, the Colonial Order consists of eight men. Nine if you count Thomas Hickey, although he doesn’t share our ideals. _With_ Shay, it’s ten.”

 **Violet** : “So it’s just an issue of numbers.”

 **Juhani** : “Precisely. Haytham had to do _something_ to prevent the Order from dying out in the New World—and Shay becoming a member is better insurance against that happening than a four-leaf clover taped to a lucky rabbit’s foot hanging off a horseshoe.”

 **Violet** : “Ahhh…” 

> “I’m starting to see why you’re so interested in Shay Cormac,” she replies.

“I’m starting to see why you’re so interested in him.”

Because he…officially joined the Templars. Which you’d be aware was coming if you knew _anything_ about Colonial Rite history. Or indeed, about him. He’s worked with them for at least seventeen months; did you think he might change his mind and return to the Assassins, but since he’s sworn the _oath_ there’s no going back? He could still betray them. The Assassins would kill him if he turned up on their doorstep, but he could. 

> ‘We’ stand and turn from the Animus,

I still hate calling that computer an Animus. I will always hate calling that computer an Animus. 

> to find Juhani and Violet near ‘our’ work station. Violet looks over as ‘we’ approach.
> 
> Juhani folds his arms, staring at ‘us’ as well. “Shay has seen the _true_ face of the world.”

Nothing shook his faith in humanity, just the Brotherhood.

At most, you can say he’s seen “who the heroes of this war are”—and even then I’d fight you. Since these Templars act more like Assassins than the actual Assassins. 

> “And he has chosen his path accordingly.

“And chosen his path accordingly.

He became a Templar for ideological reasons to the same degree you did. _You_ signed up because they could cure your daughter’s illness. Then they showered the both of you with privilege and gifts, and magically you agreed with their way of thinking. Maybe you realized that you were a living example of humanity’s inherent greed and selfishness, ‘the true face of the world.’ But I doubt Shay’s come to any such understanding. 

> A similar choice will soon present itself to you.”

How have ‘we’ proved worthy of joining the Order? We sat at a desk reliving memories like every other research analyst. (The ones we’ve never seen, but must exist because these ten-or-so cubicles are decorated with various possessions, and Violet said we have co-workers.) Nothing demanding about that, except for the Bleeding Effect symptoms we’d arguably be beginning to experience if we more closely resembled a character than a floating tablet.

Also, our “choice” really isn’t that similar. We don’t _have_ a choice. There is no [A] I’ll Take the Ring, [B] Can I Think About It?, [X] I’d Like to Keep Being a Research Analyst if That’s All Right With You, or [Y] Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death! There’s only [A] Join the Templars, or [B] Be Shot in the Head by the Templars. Oh yes, please, where do I sign up to help out this charitable and enlightened organization?

…No, no, I meant the Assassins. Where do I sign up to help them?  

> ‘We’ and Violet watch Juhani head toward his office. Then she says to ‘us’, “I did _not_ think you’d get this far.”

In Shay’s memories? All we needed to do was sit for a sufficiently long period of time.

In becoming a Templar? Neither did we. There wasn’t a hint that we might be initiated. 

> She chuckles. “But you seem to be on the right track.

It would appear so. [ O-O ] 

> We still can’t access the servers in the basement,

We still can’t access the basement servers,

Because cow.  

> but there’s another one located at the top of the building,

but there’s another on the top floor,

Which you _can_ access and haven’t already sent someone to repair because cow. 

> near Melanie’s office. That’s your next stop.” 

You think she means the server room is our next stop, don’t you? Well, look at you, being wrong! [ c: ] 

> ‘We’re’ in the elevator, moments from reaching Melanie’s floor, when ‘our’ earpiece comes to life: “Could you stop by my office? We…need to have a talk.”

“Could you stop by my office? We…need to talk.”

How fortunate, we were just in the neighborhood. What about? Whatever it is must be serious—your tone, it’s like someone died. Or you’re firing us. Please fire us. 

> ‘We’ cross the lobby into her office and walk up to her shiny metal desk, where she’s typing at a computer. She smiles at ‘us’, then rises from her chair.
> 
> “This office used to belong to a man named Olivier Garneau,” she says, coming around and leaning back against the desk. “He was my predecessor as Chief Creative Officer of Abstergo Entertainment.

For some reason, I feel like I should care.

“This office belonged to Olivier Garneau—my predecessor as Chief Creative Officer. 

> Otso Berg is a representative from our parent company, Abstergo Industries. He’s showing you the true history of the world,

Otso Berg represents our parent company, Abstergo Industries. He’s showing you the real version of history,

‘ **Us** ’: “…That shit actually happened?” *lets this sink in, then turns and heads toward the office doors* “Think I’ll go home and drown myself in the shower now…” 

> just like they showed me.”

like they showed me.”

 **Juhani** : *looks around the room for someone to induct; covers eyes and points to Melanie*

You’re not that unique, dear. Somewhere down the road, Abstergo Industries lost its marbles and created Abstergo Entertainment, which marketed _Liberation_ , and now everyone and their cousin knows about the Assassins and Templars. So you were given the non-propagandist version of the story. Big whoop. 

> She draws attention to a small framed picture of Olivier on her desk. “Olivier was kind, he was intelligent, and passionate about our work.

“Olivier was kind, intelligent, and passionate about our work.

 **People Who Played _Black Flag_** : *listen, nodding absently* “Uh huh…yep…” 

> But…” She hesitates. “A year ago, he caught a glimpse of this truth.”

But…a year ago, he glimpsed this truth.”

 **People Who Played _Black Flag_** : *nod* “Yep, knew who Haytham and Connor were. In other news, water is wet…” 

> Melanie steps toward ‘us’, leans in, and says in a hushed voice: “They never found his body.”

I once thought she was insinuating that Templars killed him for knowing too much. But this was a hit called out by the Brotherhood…on a man who wasn’t a Templar, just a kind, intelligent civilian following orders who—one way or another—learned a few things about the war. They must be winning so handily that they can pay attention to small-time targets like him. In your _face_ , Great Purge—!

Wait a minute, this just in: “In [Ubisoft’s 2014 game _Watch Dogs_ , Aidan Pearce takes down Olivier—[whose ctOS profile lists him as wanted by the Brotherhood](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Olivier_Garneau)—] while driving in Chicago. [An] event [which isn’t] canonical in the _Assassin’s Creed_ universe. Scriptwriter Darby McDevitt confirmed via Twitter that he originally thought of [explaining Olivier’s disappearance by saying he defected to the Assassins].”

‘[N]ot canonical _in the_ Assassin’s Creed _universe_ ’?! But canonical in the _Watch Dogs_ universe?!? IT’S THE SAME UNIVERSE. AC Olivier disappears in Chicago, and WD Olivier dies in Chicago—that’s a pretty solid connection if you ask me!

> Then reverts to being casual. “This is not the way we normally bring people up to speed on these matters,

“This isn’t how we normally bring people up to speed on these matters,

*gasp*!  

> but…you’ve worked hard, and are proving yourself, so! I’m granting you Level 2 security access.”

Are you granting everyone Level 2 access, then? Is Level 2 the new Level 0? 

> She comes back around to her chair and sits. “The servers on _this_ floor should unlock more of Shay’s memories.”

You know what’d also let us unlock them? Being his descendant. I’m almost _positive_ that would work! But then we wouldn’t have the virus plot, and servers that inexplicably unlock Juhani’s personal files whenever we restore one…HA! I say that like it’s a bad thing.

How did you lot get ahold of his DNA, anyway? Wasn’t through Desmond.

* * *

“[We] have a reason [that Abstergo got ahold of Shay’s DNA. Hopefully we’ll] reveal and explore [it] very soon. [We] thought about [...] showing it in the game.” ~ ** _Richard Farrese_**

* * *

If it was, he (Richard) would’ve known that shrouding “It’s from the Sample 17 project like Edward Kenway” in mystery would only end up disappointing the fans. (Yeah, _that’d_ make him lose sleep, all right.)

Was it through a descendant, _somewhere_ out there in the world? Maybe. They could’ve thought about showing the person in-game. However, why not say, “From a descendant,” and neglect to mention who? (It’s Juhani, isn’t it? If it’s not Juhani, I’ll eat my shoes with mustard.) So maybe not. 

Then what?! 

> ‘We’ leave, conversation done.

You’re in charge of this company, Melanie—not to mention an important Templar. And you must have a lot on your plate. I would just like to take an opportunity real quick to thank you for sharing this information with us; it was _crucial_ to the plot, and now I can’t imagine the game without it! Thank you so much!  

> And go across the lobby, down a hall and staircase, and partway down another hall before finding out: Hey, look—the server room Violet sent ‘us’ to is behind a Level 2 security access door! Good thing Melanie gave ‘us’ clearance, or ‘we’ wouldn’t be able to get in!

(Although she could’ve done that remotely, like Juhani…)

‘ **Us** ’: “Oh, damn, now I can’t watch any more of Shay’s memories ever again. What a shame.”

 **Melanie** : *remotely grants access*

‘ **Us** ’: *sees notification on tablet; tries to decide whether to pretend they didn’t* “…Shit.”  

> ‘We’ play the mini-game and listen to a speech on Baptiste, which only has the type of bullshit that comes with bias, not stupidity (and not even much of that.)

Really no reason to transcribe it here. 

> “I’ve got your Animus ready and _waiting_!” Violet says cheerily. ‘We’ return to the elevator and press the…er…icon for the second floor. Moments later, her voice is heard again. “Smooth moves, numbskull!

They’re _trying_ to make me hate her now, aren’t they?

What moves? We ‘hacked’ the server (and patted ourselves on the back for not bribing a four-year-old with a lollipop to do it _for_ us), then watched a short video, went upstairs, and got in the elevator. All without tripping on our nonexistent shoelaces. I don’t care if I’m smarter than everyone in this building put together, or that it’s owned by Templars—if I could, I’d apply to Abstergo just because I would be paid to not work.  

> I’ve got the next set of Shay’s memories loaded up and ready to go.”

“ _I’ve got your Animus ready and_ waiting!”

* * *

“[ _R_ ] _ogue_ will have a Present Day element. But what’s in it [is for] players to discover once the game is out.” ~ ** _Ivan Balabanov_**

* * *

‘If we told them now, we’d never sell a single copy.’ 

> “We are _nearly_ there,” says Juhani after. He sounds weary, as if he’s been through a long, arduous ordeal, and perhaps lost people or things he cared about…rather than waiting for ‘us’ to finish memory sequences. “Know that you are aiding a worthy cause, even if you do not yet _know_ what it is.”

“We’re nearly there. Know that you aid a worthy cause.”

The Templar cause. That’s what I’m aiding. Unless you refer to _Rogue_ not yet having discussed Templar ideals, and why they’re superior to the Assassins’. In which case I know nothing. 

> ‘Our’ Animus greets us with a red memory corridor.

**Red Memory Corridor** : “Hiii!” 

> “Shit!” Violet says. “What’s happening?!”

I THOUGHT IT WAS LOADED AND READY TO GO? I don’t know what you were smoking this morning, but that doesn’t look “ready” to me. 

> “Another glitch?” Juhani asks.

**Violet** : “Can’t you see it’s in perfect working order? I just say things like ‘Shit! What’s happening?’ for fun. YES, ANOTHER GLITCH!”  

> “Same one as before; Shay’s back at Notre-Dame.”
> 
> “See if you can complete the memory this time.”

…I’m running out of Stupid jokes. Better save some for the finale. 

> “Got it.”
> 
> Shay materializes in the center of a square, facing away from Notre-Dame Cathedral.
> 
> “Shay’s in Paris, all right.

Was there…ever a doubt in your mind? You sounded pretty sure the first time. 

> I even got a date for you: 1776.”

To which I—the glutton for disappointment—will reply, “How?” By the way, could you tell us 1776’s major developments concerning France and the American colonies, and which most likely brought Shay here? Also, why is Benjamin here and why are the R!As calling for his blood? 

> “At this point in time,” Juhani reports, as if someone (in-universe) cares, “Franklin was the American ambassador to France.”

I suppose you researched that after the previous flash-forward. If yes, good for you.

One question down, two to go! 

> “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Otso Berg,” says Violet sarcastically to no one in particular. “Professional killer _and_ amateur historian.”

Probably knows more about the latter than the former, to be honest. 

> Mercifully, they stop talking and allow us to focus on the part of the game that matters. The part that at least kinda’ makes up for its horrendous, garbage writing with entertainment value. What nonsense does it have in store today?

By _God_ I wish I could answer with a video clip, but instead I’ll set the stage. 

> Apart from Shay, ~25 people occupy the square,

(I’ll go out on a limb and say eighteenth-century Paris was probably a tad more crowded than that. “History is our playground.”)  

> engaged in animated conversation or strolling into the restricted area beyond the map. Typical boring NPC behavior.
> 
> Except, 8 of the 25 do neither of those things. They’re spread well apart in male-female pairs, the man kneeling next to the woman on the cobblestone and trying to comfort her as she sobs—or standing and holding her in his arms, patting her back while she cries into his shoulder. 
> 
> What is this? Why are _those_ people acting like everything’s fine, but _these_ people are distraught? Does it have something to do with what happens later in the memory?

No.

No, it doesn’t. It’s just there to confuse the fuck out of you.

And if Shay’s this bleeding-heart type who leaves his only family because he thinks they care more about Pieces of Eden than human welfare…and he notices these couples (because this is his memory, and if he didn’t notice, we wouldn’t)…why doesn’t he ask what’s wrong, try to help the situation?

Charles Dorian will be at Versailles in two days. (Where did he get that information, and how is the royal palace the least secure venue he could pick to kill Charles at? Why not en-route, for example?) But Arno didn’t need Benjamin Franklin’s help to pass the front gates, did he? And Shay still has to climb through an upper-story window and sneak across the palace anyway—why not jump the fence while he’s at it?

Suppose that doesn’t work for some reason, and he never gets another opportunity. So what? The Box has been trapped in the Assassins’ evil clutches for over fifteen years (since 1759), and in all that time—as far as we know—it hasn’t been used. Yet retrieving it is more important than the suffering of some measly peasants, because of a disaster that could maybe, potentially occur in the future…Possibly.

I’m sorry, I’ll stop now. So after confirming that yes, I _am_ OCD enough to pick up on and care about trivialities like this…let’s see where the story goes from here. 

> Shay knows Benjamin’s in this general area, somehow…

Does this scene take place directly after the last?

And…Am I misremembering? *scrolls up* No: 

> Like before, the ‘action’ begins with R!As in an alley, wanting to kill him. Only it’s a different alley, and he’s there with them, backed into a dead end with no escape.
> 
> Two R!As block his path, one aiming a gun, and two stand guard to prevent interference.

What are they waiting for? If they want to kill him, KILL HIM. 

> ‘Kill the Criminals Threatening Franklin’

Or else _that_ will happen! 

> “Stop!” he yells in French. Then, in English, terrified: “What are you doing?! I have no quarrel with you!”

[ o: ] Question #3, here we come? 

> “You…uncultured swine,” R!A #1 says with contempt, his accent more French than those of half the characters in _Unity_. “You should not have left your backwater colony!”

“Uncultured swine. You should not have left your backwater colony!” 

> “Yeah!” says R!A #2 in French. “Go back to Boston!”
> 
> “Uh, Philadelphia, actually,” Benjamin nervously corrects him.

And New York. And who knows where else. 

> “Oh! So, he’s a comedian, too?” says R!A #1.

“Oh! So, he’s a comedian?” 

> Benjamin calls for help. But even though the alley isn’t that long and people are walking down the street at the end of it, or huddled there talking, no one so much as looks hesitantly in his direction. They don’t even react.

These French R!As…who all have the exact same uniform as Colonial R!As…want him to leave the country because they think Americans are ‘uncultured swine’ (Pot, meet Kettle), and if he doesn’t, that…warrants…killing him…

(More R!As lurk nearby, presumably stationed so they could handle things if he escaped. And they’ll kill him if allowed to. The ones holding Benjamin at gunpoint, though—they’re civilized by comparison; they’ll wait all goddamn week until Shay decides to step in!)

Assassins would do that, all right.

Hell, I don’t even think _Templars_ would sink that low. Warren Vidic—who abducted and tortured a non-Assassin, while insisting they _were_ an Assassin—would look at these guys and be like, “Smoke ‘em.” 

 **Alvaro Gramatica and Isabelle Ardant** : *in unison* “What he said.” 

> Shay makes four much appreciated contributions to France’s life expectancy statistics, and comes to where Benjamin kneels cowering against a high stone wall.
> 
> “Shay?” Benjamin stares up at him in mild disbelief. “Is that you? H-how long has it been?” he asks, getting to his feet.
> 
> Then he lets out a sound of exasperation, looking around, flustered. “Where are my manners?!”

He killed four people in front of you without flinching. They may have threatened your life (sort of), but still—you’re more concerned about _manners_ than ‘Holy shit, did you just…? You did! Holy shit!’? 

> “Thank you, my friend, thank you!”

Yes, _thank you_ for murdering those guys even though that’s generally illegal as fuck! [ :D ]

…Again—I don’t blame him for being glad they’re dead. I just don’t understand why he isn’t freaking out even a _little_ bit. You’d think he sees that sort of thing all the time. 

> “But…what are you doing in Paris?”

Because that’s what’s important right now. 

> “With all due respect, sir,” Shay replies, “this is no time to talk. You’re still in danger.” He looks over his shoulder, toward the street.
> 
> “Yes, I…I must return to my family!” Benjamin sets off at a brisk pace.
> 
> Shay, of course, comes with.

‘Family’ implies that he brought along two or more relatives. You wouldn’t say, ‘This is my family’ when introducing one person—you’d say, ‘this is my husband,’ ‘this is my daughter,’ et cetera.

According to Wikipedia, only his grandson was with him: “In December 1776, Franklin was dispatched to France as commissioner for the United States. He took with him as secretary [his 16-year-old grandson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin), William Temple Franklin.”

> Benjamin hurries through narrow streets, paying no mind to Shay killing R!As who attempt to go after him.
> 
> “Ah, thank you, Shay,” he sighs once they reach the front door.

“Ah, thank you.” 

> He starts to head inside. Then turns and says quickly (before Shay can walk off), “Please, wait for me! I just want to make sure my family is safe!”

Grandson. And why the R!As don’t storm the place or weren’t waiting inside, holding the kid hostage, I have no idea. 

> They position themselves near the residence, quite out in the open, and wait for Shay to pick them off.

Fellas, I’m not here to tell you how to do your job, but…what if you changed into civilian clothing, stabbed Benjamin as you passed by, and carried on like nothing happened? Worth a shot. 

> Benjamin disappears into the house; meanwhile, Shay already knows something is up.
> 
> ‘Locate and Kill the Criminals’

There are five. Counting those four in the alley, and the three Shay killed on the way here, twelve Assassins were sent after an unarmed civilian who doesn’t know the Brotherhood exists. TWELVE.

(Huh. Maybe this chapter isn’t such a bad place to talk about the Assassin Interceptions after all. It’s perfect, really.) 

> Shay kills them in under two minutes (despite being forty-five), just in time for Benjamin to emerge.
> 
> ‘Talk to Franklin’
> 
> He goes to the front door to do so.
> 
> “How…?” Benjamin looks at the body of an R!A lying on the street. “How did you do that?” he sputters, in a, ‘That is so freakin’ awesome!’ tone.

*looks deadpan at readers, unburies horse, kicks it, then reburies*

I’m not sure what he’s asking. Is it, ‘by what method did you kill these people,’ ‘how did you kill so many people,’ or ‘how did you kill so many people so fast’? 

> “It was quite…” Benjamin searches for the right word. “Fortunate!”
> 
> “I make my _own_ luck, Master Franklin,” says Shay.

To quote Arya Stark: “LIAR! LIAR, LIAR, LIAR! LIAR! LIAR!  _LIAR_!” 

> “As I suspect _you_ do.”
> 
> “Yes indeed, my good fellow. Yet, without your assistance today…” Benjamin trails off, looking down at the R!A and nudging him with his foot, thinking about how that would’ve been him. “Well, you have my thanks, Shay.

“Well… 

> Is there anything I can do for you, to repay you for this…er…kindness?” he asks, grimacing.

Is there anything I can do as repayment for this…er…kindness?”

At least he hesitated.  

> “Actually, there is,” Shay answers. “I need to meet…a business acquaintance. I heard he would be at the Chateau de Versailles two days from now.”
> 
> Benjamin catches on. “And they don’t just let anyone inside the royal palace,” he finishes Shay’s thought for him, taking a few casual steps backward and almost tripping over another body.

Game Transcript = “And they don’t let just anyone inside the royal palace.” 

> “Very well,” he assents. “I’ll see what can be arranged.”
> 
> ‘We’ go back to the red memory corridor that normally appears after a failed or restarted mission.
> 
> “That’s the best we can do for now,” Violet tells Juhani. “We keep trying to sequence memories out of order, which is why we’re crashing like this.”

YOU’RE JUST NOW FIGURING OUT YOU SHOULDN’T DO THAT?!

…Part of me can’t blame you. Compared to what happened when Abstergo tried it with Desmond, this has been a wild success—no NPCs missing faces; no flashing, seizure-inducing lights; no scenery disappearing and reappearing.

Also, once again: Awfully convenient place to ‘crash.’  

> Juhani defers to her wisdom. “What do you suggest?”

Well, gee, I don’t know…Maybe NOT sequencing memories out of order?!

This is the Master Templar who was chosen out of an entire Animi training program class to join the Order’s highest ranks, and who captured William Miles. Jesus, I’d hate to see the rest of that class. Half of them must’ve been fucking VEGETABLES.

> “If we progress further with Shay’s life in the colonies, I’m confident we can get better results from these _Paris_ memories,” Violet suggests.
> 
> “Very well. Keep me informed.”

The Assassins are running and hiding from, living in fear of, these people.

Yep.

They’re right.

The Templars are right: Humanity deserves to be enslaved. 

> “Uploading the next memory sequence now.”

* * *

“[ _R_ ] _ogue_ is a celebration of everything [we’ve] grown to love in the franchise so far.” ~ ** _Ivan Balabanov_**

* * *

Thinking I’d be lucky if this chapter hit fifteen pages, I tossed around the idea of padding the end with the Assassin Interceptions. I said I’d talk about them, and if there’s a better place, I haven’t found it.

Arguably they’re the most unique side-quest _Rogue_ offers. Unlike building a naval fleet, finding Animus fragments and shanties, hunting, renovating buildings, unlocking taverns and armor, etc., players _stopping_ Assassins from eliminating assigned targets hasn’t been done.

And any Templar would jump at the chance, so I love the concept. However, before I delve into its execution, I have a few criticisms (from least to most important): 

  * Quick-time events.

  * The contract is never meant for a lone Assassin, though there’s never more than one target.

  * Once the target is safe, Shay can’t recruit them to the Order or get a ‘thank you.’

  * Shay can’t shove the target out of the way of an air-assassination even if he stands close enough to breathe down their neck.

  * If the reason Ezio and Edward didn’t chase pigeons, but Shay _does_ …is that the former found them in pigeon coops, read the message tied to their leg(?), then released them, and that’s the point at which _Shay_ finds them…How does _he_ read the message? Wouldn’t the R!As tear it to shreds? Burn it? Pocket it? Anything but _reattach it to the bird_?

  * When Shay was in the Brotherhood, he couldn’t do assassination contracts. And he doesn’t mention hearing about the system, accompanying Liam on a contract, etc. Nor does a Templar ask him to grab a pigeon and find out who the Assassins are after. Yet somehow…If I may quote _Rogue’s_ motto, ‘In Defiance of All Logic’…he knows this is a Thing that Exists and Must Be Thwarted.




All right, on to the actual Interceptions! 

> This war veteran has hunted many Assassins in the current conflict [Seven Years’ War.] His experience, leadership, and cunning have resulted in the death of many of our [B]rothers and [S]isters. Strike fast and hard, but do not underestimate him.

Can I, like…frame this contract and hang it on my wall?

Because it’s the kind of thing _Ezio_ would’ve received. Every letter makes sense. You can’t threaten the Brotherhood much more directly than that, and I’ll bet Lewis Johnson didn’t _happen_ to kill a bunch of Assassins without knowing what they were. 

In addition, obviously one or two won’t cut it, so sending a team of six to deal with him is warranted. He takes the first of those six down moments after Shay finds him. And his usefulness doesn’t end there. Personal story time, gather ‘round, children:

I killed four Assassins and climbed onto the roof nearest Lewis, so if the fifth went to air-assassinate him (like in two previous attempts), hopefully I could do something. I perched on the edge, looking desperately around the street in case _I_ needed to air-assassinate…and saw Lewis shoot the last guy right in front of him!

I would’ve failed, AGAIN, except the target lifted a finger in defense of his own life—the only one (except maybe Conan Brown) to do so! I could have _kissed him_. 

…Sadly, he’s kind of an idiot. (But who in this game isn’t?)

“Back in my day,” he tells Shay, “men fought properly. Face-to-face.” Except no, there were Assassins in “[his] day,” too. And if he doesn’t know they’ve always been around, he doesn’t know about the Assassin-Templar War…so how did he get started killing them, then? 

> Through political manipulations and influence, Marla has been undermining our war effort up and down the coast for far too long. We need to take more drastic efforts to bring stop her. Let us bring balance back to our side.

Marla Capps wins Second-Best Assassin Interception because there is no Marla Capps.

Had there been, I would rant and rave about ‘there shouldn’t be a war effort to undermine.’ But since there’s not, they could’ve ordered her taken out for selling them the wrong type of cheese, and I’d shrug it off because nobody’s life was actually endangered. Nobody except Shay Cormac, that is… (*smiles mischievously*) If they had more than five brain cells to spark together between them, Shay would be in the ground.

Eleven Interceptions and over fifty dead Assassins later, they recognize he’ll come to _anyone’s_ rescue if the Brotherhood is involved. They don’t even need to think up a good excuse. Or worry that he might decline to show after learning there is no Marla. He never investigates anything, as Achilles and co. can attest. All they need to do is bullshit their way through another contract, and send it out…then wait.

They include a location and time—explaining why Shay stops at a narrow alley even though the target is nowhere to be found; why [the target doesn't exist](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin_Interception_\(Marla_Capps\)), yet he sees a golden glow in a shed. He sees what he expects to. There’s always been someone for him to save, and it doesn’t occur to him there might not be now. Assassins don’t usually hunt imaginary people.

Shay is famous for not thinking of things like, ‘Why hasn’t the Assassin killed her already?’ He assumes that because he got here at the appointed time, he isn’t too late. And that if the Assassins say Marla is in danger, then Marla is in danger. Period. Especially when he sees two dead British soldiers on the ground, and a second, red figure in the shed. An Assassin. Holding Marla at knifepoint and keeping her silent; telling her that if she screams or calls for help, she dies. Perhaps something about the situation wouldn’t feel right, but he couldn’t just walk away.

The R!A waits until he touches ground (making it harder for him to get back to the roof), then saunters out, sneering: “I knew you’d take the bait, ‘hero.’ Get him, Brothers!”

He raises his fist—like when Ezio called his recruits.

 _Oh_ , _shit_ , _what’s this_? I thought, sitting stunned with XBox controller in hand, watching the cutscene. _This is different_. [ O-O ] _The Assassin team isn’t attacking the target on the contract_ ; _they’re attacking Shay_ — _because Shay_ is _the target_!

Then the R!A unsheathes his sword while Shay looks up and around. (He thinks to look up!…Yes, my bar _is_ that low.) Eight more Assassins close in from the rooftops. One seriously wounds him in an air-assassination, before all nine encircle him on the ground. Most have guns, a couple even have axes, and they aren’t afraid to use them.

(You can’t run very far, and they’ll just catch up and kill you there; you’re so limited that I was almost as surprised by being able to shake them and hide as by the ambush itself. So I tried to climb the alley walls to get back to the roof—and the Assassins displayed fantastic teamwork shooting him down in unison before he made it. I couldn’t have been more proud.)

Expect nothing but the bare minimum of effort from _Rogue_ , and it will rarely disappoint you—so my jaw about _dropped_ when I realized this wasn’t just another Find-All-the-Assassins-Before-the-Timer-Runs-Out-and-Hurry-Back-to-Guard-the-Target-if-You-Can’t sidequest. Ubisoft could’ve easily made all these Interceptions the same. Instead, they threw in a plot twist. It’s for that reason—as well as Marla’s nonexistence, and the Assassins hunting and posing a legitimate threat to Shay…as well as Shay being an armed, legitimate threat himself—that this mission ranks so high. 

It failed to win First Place due to a number of factors.

#1: The contract made no sense. Regardless of whether that matters, Lewis’s _did_ make sense.

#2: Yes, you read that right: “more drastic efforts to bring stop her.” Lewis’s contract, meanwhile, was spell check-approved.

#3: The woman who air-assassinated Shay didn’t stab him again, though that would’ve finished the job because his health hadn’t regenerated yet.

#4: Wasted potential. Imagine there is a Marla, and she isn’t undermining the French Army’s war effort for the British. The contract—which takes place in 1758, instead of ’56—specifies that she’s a civilian thief who took the Manuscript from the Assassins (after Liam recovered it from George), and will sell it to a British officer meeting her on behalf of his Templar superior[s] at such-and-such time and location. She must be stopped before this happens.

There’s _zero_ possibility of Shay passing _that_ up, and the Assassins would be In-Character. (You know, aside from the whole Willing-to-Kill-Somebody-Over-the-Manuscript thing.) Everybody wins.

Shay arrives to find a dead British officer, and—moments later—hears a woman screaming further down the alley. Marla. He rushes to her aid. Five R!As surround her, one pointing a gun at her head. He kills them, and she comes up and thanks him as people who’ve just been rescued from certain death are wont to do.

He turns to leave.

That’s when she unsheathes her Hidden Blade and stabs him in the back. Game, set, match. 

> One of our undercover agents has returned to St. Anthony. We are certain she was turned and now acts as a double agent. Get rid of her.

“But _how_ can you be certain? What if she’s _pretending_ to work for the Templars; isn’t that why we sent an undercover agent—to infiltrate their ranks?”

“What have I told you about thinking under this roof?!”

Rounding up a whole team for an ex-Assassin-turned-Order spy (member?) is understandable, if overreactive. (Stealth. Blending. Remember those?) And the contract doesn’t need to be specific, because Assassins want to think the best of one another—especially of the higher-ups who issue these orders. They trust their Brothers and Sisters won’t lie to them.

The fact that Rachel Plourde knows who Shay is but doesn’t try to kill him, and therefore probably _is_ a traitor…only reinforces that mindset. “Templar. Had to die. More solid, reliable information!”

Shay was more threatening than Rachel, though. She doesn’t appear armed, and hasn’t killed anyone that we know of.  

> Beaubien was one of our suppliers, but he spends most of his time fishing nowadays. Our spies tell us he collaborates with the British now. We can’t afford having him spill our secrets: take him out.

“British” is code for “Templar” in this game (like “French” for “Assassin”); Philippe Beaubien not only turned his back on the Brotherhood, he’s supplying their _enemies_.

However, unless he _joined_ the Templars, there’s no excuse to send more than one Assassin. 

> Michael Crawley is a traitor to our cause. We thought him dead for some time. One of our scouts found him, quite alive, in a remote area. You need to remedy this situation. Be careful, he is a veteran of the Brotherhood.

‘[A] traitor to our cause.’ Shay.

‘We thought him dead for some time.’ Shay.

(Also, they really suck at fact-checking these things.)

‘One of our scouts found him, quite alive, in a remote area.’ A scout spotted George and co. before Kesegowaase made his appearance, sooo…Shay.

If Michael was just another ex-Brotherhood veteran who they hadn’t thought was dead, his contract would be better than Philippe’s. Being a clone is the _only_ thing that knocked him down to Fifth Place. 

> Snider is a New York pamphleteer who has been troublesome for some time now. She has been stalking the HQs of our allies and eavesdropping on their conversations. This person needs to be silenced.

‘[The] HQs of our allies’ = ‘Gang Headquarters.’

Gang members = R!As.

Much as Ubisoft might like to deny it, Kelly Snider is eavesdropping on Assassins and sharing their secrets—including HQ locations?—with the public. She claims they’re “trying to control […] lives through violence” (not understanding that violence is how they _prevent_ lives being controlled), and says her “last article exposed them for what they are[.]”

She slanders them, they warn her, she plans to publish another article that will “bring them down once and for all,” and now they’re like—Welp, nice knowing her.

She wins Sixth Place because Michael _warranted_ a team. Plus, I didn’t have to make assumptions with him.  

> Conan Brown is a hunter and a nuisance. He has been supplying the Templars with much needed furs and always refuses to sell to us. Let’s put a stop to this inequity.

LEARN TO HUNT, YOU FUCKING IDIOTS! ARE YOU PROFESSIONAL KILLERS OR NOT?!

…*rubs temples* At one point he was in Last Place. Then I asked myself: What if he refuses to sell to the Assassins because he’s a Templar ally? Wiki, back me up? 

 **Wiki** : “[No](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin_Interception_\(Conan_Brown\)).”

Thanks for nothing.

Anyway, what if they want him dead because of that, and because the Templars profit from selling those furs? No evidence one way or the other, so for my sanity I’ll pretend that’s what’s going on.

He may not _deserve_ eight Assassins, but he can defend himself. Whether he does, I never found out; the countdown was so long I had plenty of time to spare (even after hacking at—and repeatedly missing—an Assassin half-buried in snow for almost a full in-game minute.)

He wins Seventh Place because Kelly’s contract requires fewer assumptions. And unlike her, he isn’t actively harming the Brotherhood. He might not even know it exists. 

> Maria Gurley is a very charismatic political agitator who is gaining too much influence in Albany. She has been ignoring our warnings and we cannot afford to lose the few allies we have. Make her into an example for the local population.

The contract makes sense even _without_ twisting your brain in a knot. But if you tilt your head sideways, her statement “ _I_ have the local governance behind me!” (in contrast to the Assassins’ brutality) _could_ be taken to mean she’s a Templar supporter. Maybe. It’s only about a mile-long stretch.

And when she tells Shay that “[t]hey sent [her] [dozens of threats](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin_Interception_\(Maria_Gurley\)) saying […] the last woman who stood in their way was burned alive, like a witch,” one is tempted to sympathize with her outrage. That redefines ‘messed up.’ However, I consider it a point in this Interception’s favor that it allows for nuance. Assassins aren’t known for tying their enemies to pyres, but they _have_ lied on occasion; they were probably trying to scare her, and expected it’d be effective because witch hunts were still going on in that era.

She ranks Eighth, first of all, because her contract’s annoyingly vague. ‘[G]aining too much influence’ by what standards, and how might she jeopardize relations with their allies?

Also—“It’s hard to be brave in the face of such unfair odds!” Funny. Normally the _Assassins_ would say this, but in this instance, it’s seven of them against one. Another unarmed, unguarded civilian. If Malik met Achilles’ recruits, he’d hesitate to call Altair a novice ever again.

Thirdly, when the synchronized attack begins, Maria (like Philippe, Rachel, and other targets) takes a walk through town instead of avoiding roofs, staying put, and forcing her enemies to get past Shay. Really, she’s too stupid to live. I don’t think Conan was a member of that club.

Furthermore, he was able to defend himself against a team, and more likely to be a Templar ally.

> David Borgen provides support to remote settlements to help them grow. Unfortunately, he has been helping everyone, including local Templar leaders. His services are no longer needed.

You can _almost_ understand where the Assassins are coming from: David himself says [there aren’t enough supplies to go around](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin_Interception_\(David_Borgen\)). And while non-Templars are deprived, Templars would use what they’re given to strengthen their position in the colonies. That has to stop.

But the Brotherhood’s reason for wanting Maria dead is more solid; even if David’s aware the Templars exist (doubt it), he’s neutral—he tries to help EVERYONE. Why not take out the Templar leaders?

And _**seven Assassins**_?! He. Is. Not. Armed.

Jesus Fucking Christ.

> Contrary to our expectations, this newly-promoted overseer works against the Brotherhood’s interests. Take care of him in public. That should shock the population and bring them back in line.

Scott Lawson is wanted because he’s a problem for the Assassins, and he doesn’t say anything stupid or take a walk. So there’s that.

On the other hand: Why did they _expect_ Scott to work for their interests? It’s not “contrary to our hopes” or, “unfortunately”; it’s, “we believed he was on our side, but guess what.” In what way is he _not_ doing that? [He describes his responsibilities](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin_Interception_\(Scott_Lawson\)) as hiring laborers, deciding when they work, watching over them, and keeping them safe. Period. How does that justify a death sentence, much less a _team_ to carry it out?

“Take care of him in public.” STEALTH, ASSHOLES.

“That should shock the population and bring them back in line.” Your problem is with the _overseer_ ; the population hasn’t done SHIT to you! And since when do Assassins want to bring the _people_ in line and not those in charge?! In case you’ve forgotten, Ubisoft, WE AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE KILLING TEMPLARS.

> Greear is a downtown arms dealer who has betrayed our trust. He took payment for weapons we need but has repeatedly refused to deliver them. We aren’t exactly sure where he’s hiding yet, but you are to locate and eliminate him.

The Assassins want Franklin Greear dead on their own behalf—not on behalf of the French. That’s literally the only good thing I can say about this contract.

Would you believe he used to be my choice for Second Place? “Heh, yeah, you do _not_ troll them when it comes to weapons” were my thoughts.

…Until I realized that they weren’t delivered because [he’s recovering from a bear attack](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin_Interception_\(Franklin_Greear\)), unable to work for months, and half-starved. ‘Working against the Brotherhood’s interests; I’ll have to take your word on that’ is less full of bullshit than, ‘What part of He Was Almost Bear Food do you not understand?!’ 

> We have found a spy inside the French fort. He must be eliminated. Be aware that he is trying to hide in one of the restricted area, discretion is paramount.

The French are Assassin allies. (*dry heave*) So Randall Gordon could theoretically be a Templar spy…? Yeah, all right, I had to send a deep-sea diver to fetch that one. There’s no proof he wants information about the Assassins; he could just be sabotaging the French Army on behalf of the British.

Other complaints include:

“[D]iscretion is paramount,” yet they send _five Assassins_?!

“[T]rying to hide in one of the restricted area.” Not ‘areas’—‘Area.’


	17. Stop Making Me Hate Haytham

> X amount of time “[[f]ollowing the induction ceremony](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Men_o%27_War)”—five minutes or five months—

It’s unclear whether this is the next event in Shay’s life, or in the game. 

> Haytham stands alone outside of Shay’s Fort Arsenal mansion, in the sun.

Why was the ceremony held here? The Colonial Assassins have run operations out of Davenport Homestead for more than ten years, but the Templars just meet wherever? That seems…disorderly. 

> The latter unexpectedly arrives.
> 
> Haytham turns—“Shay Cormac”—and greets him with a slight nod. (Shay responds in kind.)

I beg you, stop saying his name. 

> “I hear you are the Templars’ new don of Precursor archaeology.”

No, to the best of your knowledge, that’s still you. You’ve seen isu markings on cave walls, while he’s…stolen the Manuscript from the Assassins. And you can’t even be sure that if you asked him what it is, he wouldn’t say, “A book the Assassins consider important.” “Why?” “I ‘unno.”

When talking to George, Christopher, and Jack, he didn’t mention having killed Samuel and James, witnessed the Box’s activation, or gone to Lisbon. _They_ didn’t reference those things in conversation, which means Shay having told them off-screen is unlikely. How, then, might _you_ feasibly be aware of any of it?

 **Haytham** : “He’s the Assassin who posed as our agent and beat us to figuring out how the artifacts worked. Hence, ‘don of Precursor archaeology.’”

Oh, really? Do explain.

 **Haytham** : “Well, after the Box projected a globe hologram and Shay fled the scene, Benjamin had questions that Elizabeth couldn’t or refused to answer. Shay had said that he and Elizabeth were associates of William Johnson, who’d commissioned Benjamin to study the artifact—and he assumed William might know more than his messengers. He passed along their names, and it didn’t take long for the Templars to work out that the Assassins were involved.”

Sound, _beautiful_ logic.

 **Haytham** : “Why do I sense a ‘but’?”

BUT. “ _Shay!_ _It is good to see you again_! _Your friend_ [ _Elizabeth_ ] _said you were away_! […] _Oh_! _Well_! _It’s a very good thing_ , _then_ — _I just finished fixing the prototype_! _Here you go_. […] _I was preparing to leave for Philadelphia_ , _and then Europe_. _I was invited to lecture in London_! _Oh_! _Would you be so kind as to inform Mistress_ [ _Elizabeth_ ]?”

Benjamin either suffered partial memory loss—enough to remember meeting Shay and Elizabeth, but not what happened after…Or _Rogue_ ’s writers were lazy and said, ‘Yeah, this eighteenth-century man not being fazed by technology even the twenty-first century marvels at is believable. He’s an inventor, after all. Who’s buying lunch?’

 **Haytham** : “Just because he didn’t say anything to Shay doesn’t definitively _prove_ that he didn’t say anything about it to William, though.”

Valid point. All right, suppose I’m willing to believe that Ubisoft thought this out, too. Even though they didn’t think out Benjamin’s reaction to seeing Shay again…or to Shay murdering people in front of his face—

Actually, fuck this. If he didn’t say anything to someone who was there and would believe him, I doubt he’d say anything to someone who might have him locked in a mental asylum (or the period equivalent). Therefore, the Templars never learned that Shay encountered the Box.

 **Haytham** : “Very well…It’s been about two years, maybe two-and-a-half, since Lisbon was devastated by that earthquake. We, the Colonial Order, probably know about that by now. And obviously Samuel was murdered and the Box is gone; it’d be a miracle if the Assassins _didn’t_ have it along with the Manuscript.”

Mmhmm. Following you so far.

 **Haytham** : “They stole them a little over a year before the incident.”

Anything past seven or eight months is too circumstantial.

 **Haytham** : “The Box and Manuscript were supposed to—”

You don’t know _what_ the hell they’re supposed to do. (In 1742, John Harrison said the Box was “rumoured to contain a strange power.” Like how an unopened cereal box is rumored to contain cereal.) You don’t know they’re ‘connected to isu sites’ and ‘made to work together.’ Or even about the Haitian temple.

  * In 1751, Lawrence Washington said: “Once in Haiti, I wasted no time […] tracking down the Assassins […] led by […] Francois Mackandal[.] I [followed] his man Vendredi to […] a cave of some kind. I promised to free him [from fallen debris] if he told me where [Francois] was hiding. The [earthquake’s] devastation provided […] excellent cover for my approach on [Francois’s] camp. I stole two Pieces of Eden in his possession: a strange Precursor box and a mysterious manuscript.” Clearly _he_ —a Grandmaster—didn’t know what these things were, or that other Templars were looking for them. (Well…one of them, anyway—“The Assassin […] Shao Jun possessed a type of Precursor box”; “I will search for this Precursor box”; “I have not found any trace of the Precursor box.”) He didn’t come to Haiti to assist with that search. It seems more like his goal was to fuck over the Haitian Assassins while he was in the neighborhood, and the Box and Manuscript were souvenirs.

  * Earlier in _Rogue_ , if you’ll remember, we learned that (as of July 1752) Templar spies had “called upon” native tribes and “learned people in New York,” “showing [the] Manuscript far and wide” in hopes that someone could “read the […] writing or [explain] the images,” because they “[desired] to understand the nature of [the] artifacts.” If the Templars understood that it was a set, they’d instead have talked about needing to make the Box work before they could progress with the Manuscript.




So it isn’t as if you could look at what happened there and in Lisbon, take into account the extremely high probability that the Assassins had both artifacts before each incident, and make a connection. And if somehow you could, Shay doesn’t strike one as a hardened veteran who might be trusted with collecting volatile Pieces of Eden from millennia-old ruins. You’d have no good reason to think he knew what the artifacts were and what happened, let alone that he was directly involved. Next theory?

 **Haytham** : “I borrowed the script from him.”

Yeah, could be. 

> The speed at which Shay sets the record straight is commendable.
> 
> “I’m no expert, sir,” he replies humbly…before seething, “I just witnessed what the Assassins can do with those damned sites.”

And it differs from what the Templars can do with them how? In a universe where they activate the Box with Benjamin’s help, and choose that same temple…what changes?

[John Harrison](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/John_Harrison) has a field day. (“Son of a bitch, [I fucking KNEW IT](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/War_letters)! Don’t ask me how I knew it, but I KNEW IT!”)

Fellow Templars _bury_ them in ships, and they reach Portugal in less than a year.

The hunt for the temple begins. (Quietly. Don’t want to alert the Portuguese and Spanish Brotherhoods.) If by a miracle they succeed without Shay’s psychic abilities, they open it at night and come upon the Piece of Eden.

It’s silent, rotating lazily in midair over a pedestal that brought it within reach, at the end of a bridge that raised automatically to allow them to cross the chasm. It looks for all the world as though it’s been forgotten in this rundown, abandoned site.

If it wasn’t meant to be moved, wouldn’t a forcefield repel them? Surely if it were dangerous enough to…oh, let’s say, cause [a 9.0 earthquake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake), it wouldn’t be left where anyone could walk up and grab it?

So they walk up and grab it.

Half an hour later, Lisbon is a smoking ruin. 

> Haytham takes the Key from where he keeps it on his person,

Because _that’s_ never backfired. 

> and shows it to him.

Haytham, dear…Shay’s awareness of the temples—much less his having been to one—is a revelation to you, remember? So could you at least _feign_ surprise before whipping that out?

If I were Shay, I’d be interested to know what the Key’s called and what it does, but he never asks. 

> “I have spent years investigating Precursor leads.

(The last _Assassin’s Creed III_ Haytham memory was July 9, 1755 [when Shay was an Assassin]. He found the Grand Temple but didn’t recognize it for what it was, so he’s still looking.)

“I’ve spent years investigating Precursor leads.

So has Achilles. Who Shay knew for years, and whose judgment he trusted—whatever Achilles told him to do was the right thing; he wouldn’t lead him astray—until that unquestioning faith in authority screwed over thousands of people.

If we step back and operate on Shay!Logic (‘Achilles knows what he’s doing is wrong, but does it anyway because fanaticism’), we’d expect Shay to now be wary of anyone with a claim to power over him. (Which…would explain why he doesn’t defer to his Templar superiors—except for all the times he does.) _Especially_ if they’re interested in ‘Precursor leads.’

Because theoretically, they might give an order that winds up resulting in him….unleashing a bioweapon that causes the extinction of humanity, for example. For all he knows, Pieces of Eden can do literally anything.

 _Haytham is effectively his Mentor_ , _and he’s looking for Precursor artifacts_.

 _History is repeating itself_.

It’s like a bad dream.

And how does Shay react?

 **Shay** : *rolls eyes* “Gawd, those fucking Assassins. Amirite?”

Even though he’s spent less than a week in Haytham’s company (judging by what the latter knows about him at the start of this meeting), he trusts him without question. 

> Tell me what you have seen.”
> 
> He gestures for Shay to walk with him; Shay nods again and does, beginning: “Well, I know both the Assassins _and_ Templars are looking for Pieces of Eden.

I think he meant, tell him what you’ve seen that _isn’t_ blatantly obvious.  

> Powerful weapons, mind-controlling Apples…

**Haytham** : “Okay, just to clarify: When I said, ‘Tell me what you have seen,’ I didn’t mean literally _everything you’ve seen_! I know what Pieces of Eden are.”  

> But this time it’s different; we haven’t found an apple, but…a tree.”
> 
> Haytham stops short. A Tree of Eden? What?
> 
> Shay notes delightedly that the Grandmaster is paying close attention. “These temples…hold the earth together, like roots. Disturb them and Haiti falls, or…” —he hesitates, reluctantly finishing— “Lisbon.

Once upon a time, the planet was unstable, and giant earthquakes occurred on at least a _near_ -constant basis. [Insert Plausible Explanation.] The isus’ ancestor species (whatever they were) evolved in this hellscape, and the isu themselves survived [x number of] volcanic winters. Somehow. Definitely wasn’t by breeding like rabbits.

They built underground temples—which didn’t cave in—not to pray to whichever angry god they thought was terrorizing them (they were so advanced as to know there was a natural cause), but to protect hovering, lightweight, softball-sized devices made of…things.

Said devices were spiky, because looks cool, therefore worth it. And prevented most(?) earthquakes, through….the power of hope and love? They were so expertly designed that they’d function for at least 79,060 years—then disintegrate upon contact.

(All of this happened, of course, at the beginning of the isus’ civilization; it was Problem #1 to solve before their cities could get off the ground. Pun absolutely intended.)

Fast-forward to November 1, 1755, when Shay destroyed the device in modern-day Portugal, as evidenced by the fact that area of the world has been plagued by earthquakes and tsunamis ever since—

What do you mean it hasn’t? That’s impossible.

See, because if life when it didn’t exist looked just like life when it _did_ …that would mean the device was built specifically to self-destruct upon contact and _cause_ an earthquake, rather than preventing them. And it was placed where anybody who came across it could pick it up. Holy shit, the isu were assholes. 

> Or any other place the Manuscript shows.”

*the Box. The Manuscript is nothing but the senseless, cold-blooded murder of a tree. 

> “And the Assassins are blindly interfering with these structures?” asks Haytham.

“And Assassins blindly interfere with these structures?”

Vendredi went in 100% blind, true. There are two known Boxes, one discovered by November 1524, and the other— _Rogue_ ’s—no later than 1735…Yet November 1751 was the first time in history when either was used to locate a site. Perhaps no one else had known what they did, and this was an accident.

But how uninformed are the Colonial Brotherhood? They knew the Haitian Brotherhood used the Manuscript and Box (or at least the latter, but they _had_ both) to find a temple near Port-au-Prince; the Mentor sent Vendredi, a Master Assassin (“one of [his] best”), to check it out alone.

What happened next? Nobody alive knew, beyond ‘an earthquake and tsunami hit while he was away on mission, and he hasn’t been seen or heard from since.’ They couldn’t even be reasonably sure he made it to the temple. When they learned of the disaster, they had no reason to believe it wasn’t bad luck. Sure, someone could’ve _suspected_ it. _Hmm_ … _Maybe he found something_ , _and there was an accident_ , _and it was so powerful that it set something off.…_ But would they have a shred of proof? Nope.

By July 1754 (2.7–2.8 years later, depending on the date), they wrested the Pieces of Eden from the Colonial Rite and found another temple. And they were confident the same thing wouldn’t happen to them. But just to make absolutely sure…that nobody would live to tell the tale that time either if it did (*facepalm*), the Mentor sent Shay, a novice (or at least still lightyears from becoming a Master), to check it out alone.

He left for Portugal between May—August 1755, and returned b. January—May 1756, unharmed but sans artifact. “ _What happened in Haiti happened in Portugal_ [.] _A great earthquake, thousands_ dead”; “ _A person meddling with_ […] _Precursor machines_ could [ _start an earthquake_ ; _the_ ] _temple was filled to bursting with_ […] _power_.”

So now they knew, more or less, that Vendredi made it to the temple and ‘meddled’ with Piece(s) of Eden. They still couldn’t say what happened to him. (Was he dead? So traumatized that he left the Assassins without telling anyone?) They also knew that Shay found one-or-more Pieces of Eden in Portugal, too—so Achilles hoped for more elsewhere.

But everything that Shay told them was intermixed with insults and barely letting Achilles and co. get a word in edgewise, which might understandably have caused them to dismiss most of it while they steamed. Until Liam brought the Manuscript to the Homestead almost two years later, and they considered looking for another site…

At which time, Achilles would stop and think if he had any brains at all. The day that Shay left on assignment, nobody would’ve believed he was suicidal—yet when he came back, he tried to kill himself; _something_ happened. Achilles wouldn’t act without first getting confirmation or denial from European Assassins that the event Shay described took place. ( _Rogue_ and the fandom aren’t cutting him slack, so I have to. Maybe that’s why it took so long to launch another expedition; I forget the circumstances. Anyway…) Which by late 1757/early 1758, he may have done.

‘Haitian Brotherhood uses Box to find temple, sends Assassin. Earthquake, tsunami. Colonial Brotherhood uses Box to find temple, sends Assassin. Earthquake, tsunami.’ These are undeniable, chiseled-in-stone facts, and calling _both_ coincidence would be a stretch. Impossible, no. Improbable, yes. Shay was wrong to accuse Achilles of intentional mass-murder, but was the site behind it?

So Achilles wants to test this theory—one’s an incident, two’s a coincidence, three’s a pattern. Where does he go?

“ _It’s all featureless landmasses except for a few golden beams of light extending toward them from various locations_. _The key words here are_ ‘ _a few_.’ _As in_ , _no less than three_. _As in_ , _Elizabeth needs to stop pointing at the Atlantic Ocean and be a smidge more specific what she means by_ ‘ _that_.’ _The beam emanating from the Arctic_? _The one shining on the southwest African coast_?”

The Arctic. He has an option where the temperature is _above_ freezing in March…and he passes in favor of the site that only endangers himself and Liam. (OMG, a witness! Marvel at it. [O-O])

What. A. Psychopath. *eyeroll*

Admittedly, it still seems reckless and boneheaded, but I understand why he couldn’t leave these temples alone. On the slim chance that Shay was wrong, and Templars claimed the Pieces of Eden because Achilles gave up and decided it wasn’t worth it…if he failed the Brotherhood…he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. 

> “Aye,” Shay says immediately. “And if _we_ don’t stop them, they’ll continue destroying cities.”

_Might_ continue. *sigh* You can make a case, to an extent, for him hating Achilles two months later (or however long it took to get home). But two years? When the Assassins haven’t done further damage since he told them what happened, despite Elizabeth knowing how to use the Box?

‘They didn’t have the Manuscript until a few months ago—’ WHO GIVES A SHIT? Not Shay; even _he_ doesn’t think that matters!

…

Yes, I’m sober. And I know he’s said:

  * “Thousands _dead_ thanks to your damned Manuscript!”
  * “I cannot [give back the Manuscript]! I will not let this happen again!”
  * “Keep it safe. […] That’s an order.”
  * “I’ll get it back, I swear it!”



But this scene—him chatting with Haytham on a lovely morning stroll—probably takes place in 1758. I’m guessing at least March, from the clear skies and sunshine. When did George die, again?

November 1757. Right.

So, Shay’s had…*counts on her fingers* one, two, three, four—FOUR months (up to seven if we’re actually in June) to track down the Grandmaster, and beg him to devote the Templars’ full resources to his hunt. To lead a raid on the Homestead—or go alone, if necessary—and tear it apart brick-by-brick, interrogating everyone until they told him where Liam was, then killing them so they couldn’t send warning. To truly make amends.

But the first thing we see him do after he swears that he’ll rescue the Manuscript: Is it to forgo his desire to become an official Templar until he’s kept that promise? Surely helping thousands of unsuspecting people to avoid a horrible fate they did nothing to bring upon themselves is more important than attending a ceremony!

As if.

Okay, he’s an official Templar, which means he’ll have an easier time convincing the Grandmaster to lend a hand. That’s why the _second_ thing we see him do—is calmly and collectedly explain that the Assassins will doom us all. At some point. It’s not like they could be at another temple right now, or anything. Nope. No reason to lose our shit.

‘Hold on. Granted, he’s a little OOC and not taking this as seriously as he should, given his experiences—but at least he’s telling Haytham about the problem _now_. He _is_ doing something. Maybe Haytham was busy and unreachable until Shay’s initiation, and this is right after that.’

Check out the third and fourth things.

‘…What does fighting the French Navy and killing Adéwalé have to do with getting the Manuscript back?’

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. 

‘So he’s just going to kinda’…put that on the back burner for a while. Like it’s no big deal.’

Correct. 

‘Which means he doesn’t actually think the Manuscript will give the Assassins an advantage, or he just doesn’t care that they’re going to kill tons of people soon.’

No word in the English language can express how much I hate him. 

> “I see,” Haytham mutters. They continue their walk. “We have intelligence of Assassin activity near Louisbourg fortress.

**Shay** : “And something makes you think the temples might be involved.”

 **Haytham** : *shakes his head*

 **Shay** : *frowns* “You’re _hoping_ they’re involved? Or, these Assassins could know what Achilles is up to, and we get the drop on them and make them squeal?”

 **Haytham** : *blank stare* “Why do you assume that we’re still on the same subject?” 

> We’ll be meeting with a Royal Navy officer, James Cook. He recently gained a commission that could be strategically valuable. Gist has the charts.”

The navigation charts, I presume. 

> “Very well,” says Shay. “I’ll depart shortly.”

I’m missing something obvious. I have to be. It’s almost four a.m., I’m more sleep-deprived than I realize, there’s a simple explanation for what Shay just said, and all I have to do is come back in a few hours and everything will be cleared up.

(A Few Hours Later)

*scrolling through chapter* No, still not seeing it.

They talk a bit about Pieces of Eden, and Shay makes an obviously false assumption about the sites’ purpose and reiterates that the Assassins are evil. Then Haytham *cough* _transitions_ into explaining their next objective, without saying the word “you” once.

He doesn’t say, “You’ll be investigating some intelligence we’ve received on Assassin activity” or, “Meet this captain. Christopher knows where he is. Have fun.” He says “ _we_ ”! _We_ have intelligence; _we’ll_ be meeting. What in the fucking hell went through Shay’s mind to make him think he’s going there alone?! 

> And then he starts to walk off, but Haytham holds out a hand to stop him. “Colonel Monro spoke highly of you, Shay. He was convinced you could become the best among us.

He was also convinced that the Assassins wanted to wipe out New York’s civilian population for the lulz. 

> I expect you will not disappoint.”
> 
> “I don’t plan to, sir,” Shay replies, gratified.

It’s true. You know how you and I exhale carbon dioxide? Well, he exhales failure.   

> Haytham nods and leaves him there.

Where are you going?! Damn it, game, stop making me hate Haytham! I did _not_ give you permission to do that!

* * *

I’m going to digress before the next scene (sorry)—I fired up my XBox to look for database entries on why Louisbourg is so important, and mostly found a bunch of other stuff instead. Starting with, “(Fun fact: There’s a plaque somewhere and it has [George Monro’s] name spelled ‘[Munro](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_George_Monro)’ because it was created in the days before spell-check. -V.)”

That’s rich, considering that these—“[Libson](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Lisbon) launched many expeditions” and, “Explorers and [fur trader](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_River_Valley) opened up the territory”—were written in the days _of_ spell-check.

 **#2** : “[On August 9](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_George_Monro) [1757], [George] Monro negotiated for his troops to be allowed safe passage [from Fort William Henry] to Fort Edward.” Interesting how this wasn’t mentioned in-game. Where is Fort Edward?

 **#3** : “There are virtually no details of [Samuel Smith](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Samuel_Smith)’s life. […] He was a treasurer for one of Lawrence Washington’s businesses, and by extension, the Templar Order. [….] (I wonder if [that’s] why he was hired? No one really knew him[,] and no one would miss him. He was completely expendable. -V.)”

To which Juhani replies—“Agent da Costa[, y]ou are ALL completely expendable.”

Heartwarming.

“Died: Unknown”? He was killed in 1754, between May and July!

 **#4** : “[Lisbon](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Lisbon) […] had a history of earthquakes. [A]t least sixteen [were] recorded in the three centuries before 1755.” Would saying Achilles knew that, and thus was further disinclined to believe Shay’s story, be too much of a reach? Probably—BUT I’MMA’ DO IT ANYWAY! I am going to come out of the review still liking ONE of these characters!

If nothing else, this gives further evidence that the Whatever-It-Was either hadn’t been designed for prevention, or was shit at it.

 **#5** : “Achilles sent [[Shay](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Shay_Patrick_Cormac)] to retrieve a Precursor artifact. […] Shay discovered, too late, that it was part of a system […] he came to believe [stabilized] the world.” Because he’s a moron.

“We’ve [studied] these temples for centuries, and […] still don’t have any clue […] what they do or why the [isu] built them”—Implying Shay was wrong? Nah, Ubisoft wouldn’t do that—“Were they weapons […] against humanity?”—My theory—“[A] desperate attempt to ward off the catastrophe that killed them?”

That’s going to be the Canon, isn’t it? >->

“When he returned to warn Achilles of what he had discovered”

Excuse me, WHAT? “ _Achilles sent me in there like Mackandal sent his man in Haiti_! He knew!” _Warn_ him?!

 **#6** : “[Tragedy struck in 1755](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Achilles), when [Achilles’] wife and son died of typhoid.”

“[ _North Atlantic_ , _May 1754_ ] […] ‘ _It’s so grim about the Homestead_ ,’ _Liam says_ , ‘ _now that Miss Abigail and little Connor have passed_.’”

I will bitch about this in my grave.

“[He] turned his full attention to the Brotherhood[.]” Not ‘he was consumed by grief’ or, ‘he used the loss as a weapon when anyone dared to challenge him’ (“ _I don’t care that_ […] _his family is dead_. _There’s no excuse for this level of madness_!”). He just considered the Assassins’ cause more important than ever—it was all he had to live for.

“Achilles was stunned that the [Lisbon] Precursor site did not contain an Apple of Eden[.]” Not ‘disappointed’. _Stunned_ —the synonyms of which include ‘amazed’, ‘dumbfounded’, and ‘stupefied’; he was “temporarily unable to react” or “think properly”, such was his conviction that these never-before-discovered temples would contain that specific artifact. Because they were the only Pieces of Eden he knew abou—Oh, wait.

“After a fierce battle, Shay was left for dead. Eventually, the Brotherhood settled from the disruption, and Achilles believed that the Precursor manuscript had been destroyed—” Because Reasons. Assuming it’d fall into the sea isn’t absurd, but the Manuscript is so ‘important’ that you’d think he would at least _try_ to save it!

 **Achilles** : “Like hell I’m going down there! It’s fucking cold! Liam, go get it.”

 **Liam** : “Fine. I’ll need a while to find a new recruit, though.” *sulks off*

 **Elizabeth** : *calls* “Make sure he can swim!”

“—until he learned that George Monro was looking for it.”

  * I guess the Assassins _did_ know he was a Templar.

  * Achilles learned that George was looking for the Manuscript…That he was looking for it _after_ Shay ‘died’, but _before_ Kesegowaase attacked him at Marais Rocheux. When was this? George found the Manuscript on Shay’s person, and kept it until shortly before he left for Fort William Henry, whereupon he gave it to Shay. There was never a point when he didn’t know EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS.

  * Achilles learned that George was looking for the Manuscript…And rather than thinking, ‘ _That should keep him busy_ ,’ he said: “Holy crap, the Templars—who we stole the Manuscript from, and don’t know that something happened to it—are trying to find the Manuscript! It must not be at the bottom of the ocean, then!”




“Achilles sent Kesegowaase and Liam after [George]. Kesegowaase reported that Shay was […] alive[,] and had saved [George]”; “Kesegowaase and his troops ignored the terms of surrender and attacked the English prisoners[.] Liam [[tolerated the violence](http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Database:_Kesegowaase)], [believing] it helped accomplish Assassin goals.”

Wait, so…Liam was at Marais Rocheux, too? And rather than show himself, he sat back and let Kesegowaase get his ass handed to him? Now THERE’S the character consistency I’m talking about! None of this sadistic, axe-wielding maniac crap.

Good ol’ Liam.

Kesegowaase selling him out makes so much sense now.

“For his betrayal, Achilles made Shay a target of the Brotherhood.”

And by ‘made Shay a target,’ Ubisoft _naturally_ means: ‘Didn’t send any Assassins after him.’

* * *

> [North Atlantic, June 1758]
> 
> “Gist,” Shay says conversationally, the _Morrigan_ sailing between enormous glaciers. “Do you know why the Grand Master is _so_ interested in Captain Cook?”

“Why’s the Grand Master interested in Cook?”

> “Well, sir, he’s very intelligent,” Christopher answers,

calling him ‘sir’ because captain? 

> He always sounds halfway between laughing and boasting. “And ambitious! His knowledge of seamanship is second-to-none! And if I trust my favorite barmaid in Halifax, he also just became captain of his own Man O’ War!

I suppose that’s the valuable commission.

“Well…He’s ambitious, and his knowledge of seamanship second-to-none. He just became captain of his own Man O’ War.

> He’s also an expert at deciphering secret codes! A man with such a skill is certainly an asset to our cause.”

He’s also a code-deciphering expert; such a skill is certainly an asset to our cause.”

> “The kind of fellow we should welcome in the Order, then?”

One of the rare instances where his brain chooses to function. Shay asks why, of everyone in the Royal Navy, Haytham singled out James. Christopher’s response is to talk about the ways he’d be “an asset to [their] cause.” Which leads Shay to gather that Haytham wants to “welcome [him into] the Order.” James is useful and exceptional—therefore, he deserves to know their secrets.

*snaps photo* I want to preserve this moment forever.

> “Well…he’s a friend of mine, but the man has an _annoying_ habit of strict honesty! A-and a total lack of anything resembling _guile_!

That’s a yes, then, but you advised Haytham against it? 

> Makes it a little hard to keep secret business secret, especially when his mathematical brain is clever at cracking codes.

**Writer** : “I could’ve sworn I mentioned him translating codes.” *glances at script* “Guess not. I’ll just put it in here, then.”

 **Game** : *is released*

 **Writer** : *watches scene; collar tug* 

> Consider him an ally, but watch what you say around him.”

“He’s a friend of mine, but the man has an _annoying_ habit of strict honesty! A-and a total lack of anything resembling _guile_! Makes it a little hard to keep secret business secret.”

 **Shay** : *zoned out, daydreaming about killing Achilles*…*realizes Christopher said something—*  

> “Duly noted,” Shay says.

Why _didn’t_ Haytham want to recruit James until Christopher said it wasn’t a good idea?

And was it his intelligence, ambition, Man O’ War, _and_ deciphering skill that piqued Haytham’s interest—or just the latter, and the rest was exposition? 

> “I’ve heard Louisbourg could be a lynchpin in the war,” says Christopher a few minutes later. “If the Royal Navy can take that fort, it’ll be clear sailing down the Saint Lawrence!”
> 
> “Then on to Quebec and Montreal. The tide is turning.”
> 
> “General Wolfe will give that craven Montcalm a right thrashing.”
> 
> “I’ve been looking forward to that since Fort William Henry.”

All this time, you’ve looked forward to _that person_ defeating him? I know you mean ‘to his comeuppance for taking the fort from our allies’ (even though he let George live), but _wording_. 

> “With this bloody war over, we’ll finally bring _order_ to this _damned_ continent!”

“General Wolfe will give Montcalm a thrashing, and we’ll finally bring _order_ to this damned continent!” 

> “I fear it will take more than that, friend,” Shay responds.

“I fear it’ll take more than that.” 

> “There she is!” Christopher exclaims, when they come upon a Man O’War anchored next to a glacier. “The HMS _Pembroke_ —Captain James Cook’s ship!”

“The HMS _Pembroke_.” 

> Shay whistles. “She’s a beauty.”
> 
> “Man O’War.

Duh. 

> Fully armed! We should bring the _Morrigan_ alongside; Master Kenway will surely be waiting.”

The only way that ‘Master Kenway’ _could_ be waiting…is if he either left before you (and the odds of that are so slim, I’m rounding them down to zero), or at approximately the same time but took a less circuitous route. (WHY DIDN’T HE COME WITH YOU?! **_JESUS_**!!!) If you knew that was possible, _you’d_ have taken it. So you should be shocked to find him already there.

And what did you expect Shay to do, _other_ than bring the _Morrigan_ alongside—wave as he sails past?

“Lovely and fully armed!” 

> The following cutscene shows Shay _and_ Christopher

*faints*  

> climbing the stairs to the _Pembroke_ ’s upper deck, along with Haytham.

**Haytham** : *drags Christopher by ear* “So long as I’m around, you will at least _look_ useful, damn it!” 

> James leaves the wheel to shake hands with and greet them. He’s introduced to Shay as a fellow captain.
> 
> “Captain Cook uncovered a rather distressing stratagem, which I fear confirms our own intelligence,” Haytham says to Shay.

**Shay** : “Oh, well, excellent! ….What was our intelligence, again?”

 **Haytham** : “Assassin activity near Louisbourg.”

 **Shay** : “Right, but…” *gestures for him to go on* “What kind of activity? Were they playing checkers? Building a canoe?” 

> “Indeed,” James says. “As we speak, a Royal Navy fleet is on its way to Louisbourg.

Kay…Waiting to hear what this has to do with the Assassins…

> However, the French have drawn up a preemptive strike against it.

/;NGP9ASHUDF[D;GIERHRW9%^#$%^@!@&&$!!!!!!!! *BLOOD PRESSURE SPIKES* *SEES RED* *HEAVY BREATHING*

*QUICKLY GOOGLES PICTURES OF KITTENS*

*melts into puddle* Proceed.

> If they launch this attack…”

“Indeed. As we speak, a Royal Navy fleet is on its way to Louisbourg. However, the French have drawn up a preemptive strike against it.”

> “Obviously we cannot allow that to happen,” Haytham cuts in. “Gentlemen, the Battle of Louisbourg could very well be the turning point which will finally bring this war to a close.” 

If this is the decisive battle, why does it matter to the Templars who wins? Is it only decisive if the British win? EXPLAIN!

“Obviously we cannot allow that.”

> “I don’t know about you, but…I’ve had enough of war,” Shay utters solemnly.

Says the guy who just signed up to fight for the Templars in their eternal war. And doesn’t leave the Templars after this battle.

> “Then may I suggest…you take the wheel, Captain Cormac?” James asks, smiling.

So he can pilot the ship to help end the war, you mean?

“Then may I suggest…you take the wheel?”

> Shay takes the helm.
> 
> “I think you might _enjoy_ piloting a vessel with real…” James struggles to find the word for a moment. “Firepower.”

Shay’s sick of violence and killing—so James thinks he’ll like being in command of a ship with the potential to do more damage and kill more people than can his own. Did nobody at Ubisoft read this out loud?

“You might enjoy piloting a vessel with real…firepower.” 

> “I believe I shall, Captain,” Shay replies unironically.

*facepalm* Never mind, he’s over it.

“I believe I shall.”

* * *

> [Louisbourg, June 1758]
> 
> Fire blazes ahead, as the last rays of sunlight fade. What sky is visible through dark clouds and smoke is a mix of dark blue and pinkish-orange. The _Pembroke_ is still at sea, now behind two frigates, sailing through wreckage.
> 
> ‘Follow Your British Allies’
> 
> James breaks the comfortable silence—“Wolfe, Lawrence, and Whitmore lead the three divisions of the Royal Navy.”

Is this going to be on the test?  

> “Who’s their commander?” inquires Shay.
> 
> “Major General Amherst himself, back from Hanover.”

*drums fingernails, waiting to care* 

> “You take an interest in the war, Shay?” Haytham calls back.

Yeah, Shay, good point: What difference does it make to you?

> “Wouldn’t want to _disappoint you_ , sir,” Shay responds.

And you ignoring the war, beyond whatever involvement his orders force you to have in it, would disappoint Haytham because?

> More silence. Bright flashes and the distant echo of cannons break through the smoke—then the enemy fleet comes into view, and rains mortars on them. The frigate escort is liquidated.
> 
> “Enemy ahead!” Christopher shouts.

**Shay** : *clubs Christopher with spyglass, knocking him out*

 **Haytham** : *glances down at him* “Thank you.”

 **Shay** : *pockets spyglass* “My pleasure, sir.”

> ‘Sink the French Fleet’
> 
> “They’re hit!” a crew member adds, regarding the escort.

**Shay** : “Captain, would you like to take over steering, so I can—?”

 **Haytham** : *irately* “No need.” *holds hand out*

 **Shay** : *gives spyglass*

 **Haytham** : *marches downstairs* 

> “Damn it!” Shay says. “We cannot let any through.”
> 
> “It is imperative we stop those ships, Captain,” James tells him quietly.

He literally just said that.

> “The outcome of the war may depend on it.”

How many times will they remind us that this is The Battle?

> Blah blah blah…Naval shit that was a breath of fresh air in _Assassin’s Creed III_ , but has since been done to death…Shay destroys the French, triggering a cutscene of a large ship with a symbol on the sail that looks like a ‘U’ with a dash through both sides.

(The Freedom sails, apparently; it’s a freedom symbol?)

> Flanked by…what the heck are those things called? Schooners?

I haven’t played _Black Flag_ in so long.

> Anyway, it’s flanked by itty bitty little ships. Ominous music. Zoom in—A pissed Adéwalé is at the helm.

I’ll gamble that Achilles called in reinforcements from the Caribbean Brotherhood.

> He turns the wheel sharply to the left, revealing that the itty bitty ships have been set on fire, and are about to meet Shay in a head-on collision.
> 
> “Dear God!” James exclaims fearfully. “Fireships! Should they break through, they would devastate our fleet!” 

“Dear God!”

> “Then we better not let that happen,” says Shay.

You…you had to say that? You felt the need to voice that thought?

> ‘Sink the Fireships’
> 
> “I recognize that vessel, sir!” Christopher yells over gunfire and roaring flames.

I won’t bother to ask.

> “It’s the _Experto Crede_!”
> 
> “Adéwalé,” Haytham says.

Nope. Not bothering.

> “How fortunate he is that we have other priorities.”
> 
> “Agreed. We have to get rid of those fireships,” Shay replies.

Do I even need to say anything?

“Agreed.”

> Once he does, the objective returns to ‘Sink the French Fleet.’
> 
> “More enemy ships, sir!” Christopher announces when he sights them. “And more fireships!”

*presses Fast-Forward Button* This is so dull.

> Shay sinks all of these, then gives a death glare to _more_ incoming French ships.

He looks badass, thanks in large part to his facial scars. And yes, because he’s incredibly hot.

> He relaxes upon noticing that British reinforcements have arrived, and stands back to watch the carnage.
> 
> James grins in triumph. “There’s the Royal Navy!

I thought it might be someone posing as the Royal Navy, but if you say it’s the real thing, it must be.

> We cleared the way just in time, Captain Cormac.”

*drags hand down face* “We cleared the way just in time.”

> “The tide of war is turning!” Christopher cheers.
> 
> “That was quite a crack, wasn’t it?” Shay says merrily to him.

*imitates in a bratty voice* “ _I don’t know about you_ , _but I’ve had enough of war_.”

> Haytham turns toward the pair. “It is too soon for celebrations. Adéwalé is still out there.”

What was the point of him just showing up and leaving? I’m pretty sure they could’ve had fireships without him.

 **James** : “Pardon me, but I couldn’t help noticing that you’ve been talking about this Adéwalé fellow like he’s your mortal enemy. Is he one of the French commanders?”

By the way, Haytham—lots of Assassins are ‘still out there.’ All over the world. And will continue to be long after you’re dead. Does that mean Templars can’t celebrate anything, ever?

> “I’m sure we’ll get another chance to dance with him, Master Kenway,” Shay replies.

“We’ll get another chance to dance with him.” 


	18. Keel Over and DIE if He Had to Put Forth Effort

> “Master Kenway seems determined to _destroy_ Adéwalé,”

*holds ice pack to head from beating it against a wall so hard*

> says…who else but Shay? He and Christopher are aboard the _Morrigan_ , in northern New France.
> 
> The frontiersman is mystified. “Aren’t you?

Shay’s a Templar like I’m a mermaid. So long as one Assassin survives, the New World Order and humanity are in danger—but the concept of wanting to kill an Assassin because they’re an Assassin, not for a personal vendetta, baffles him.

> He’s a powerful man in his own right, and a symbol of hope for the Assassins.

‘Symbol of hope’? Uhhh…Sure. Yeah. Sure, whatever.

> Eliminating him would shake them to their _core_ ,” he finishes cockily.

_Rogue_ can prattle on about how important he is to Assassins everywhere. But so far—other than his son, Achilles (former member of the Caribbean Brotherhood), Liam (who met him, and saw him in action), and Louis (who respects him at least _mostly_ because he used to be a pirate)—they don’t seem to notice he’s alive.

He isn’t even a Master. I thought he was, since he’s reputed to be such hot stuff, but no: Mentorship aside, Achilles ‘Figurehead’ Davenport ranks higher than the guy who, aged 66, sailed thousands of miles to kick ass. (Ezio retired at 53.)

Go figure.

And since when is Christopher the resident Templar expert on what Assassins think of various members of their organization? He doesn’t hang around them. Maybe they’ve all agreed that Adéwalé is a dick, and trip over themselves to avoid him.

> “It would, I know,” Shay says.

You didn’t hear of him until he showed up on your doorstep. It’ll be way closer to, “Let’s kill the Templar who killed him, and then some more for good measure!” than: “Woe is us, our world is coming to an end!”

> “But it seems a shame. He’s a good man, Gist.”

Which you can confidently say from meeting him (on good terms) once; Liam and Louis (whose opinions you totally value) singing his praises; then watching him try to burn your ship to ashes.

You do remember that he’s loyal to that “bitter madman” and ‘willful mass-murderer,’ Achilles? How, then—in your eyes—can he be a good person?

> “So was the elder Washington.

Excellent point. [ ;~; ] For the most part, his intentions were good. He was an old-guard Templar who loved his brother.

Although there _was_ that deal where he promised to help Vendredi, in exchange for the location of the Assassins’ camp—then slit his throat and wrote about it without a hint of remorse. It may have been the right call as far as Templar loyalty goes, but in terms of objective morality, it’s disgusting; Vendredi’s legs were crushed, so the chance of him killing Lawrence or warning the camp was _extremely_ slim.

> _And_ Smith. I rather enjoyed drinking with _him_.

That wimp had no self-preservation instinct. I’m not sorry.

> Wardrop too,

“ _James Wardrop rooted out many tribes from their ancestral lands_. _We have_ proof _that he’s behind countless massacres_.”

Earlier, I imagined Shay could believe that ‘Liam lied about James to ensure his cooperation.’ Do I think he’d be right? Not really. I could see Liam being that manipulative, but I’m not sure he’s smart enough to make up an _elaborate_ lie. What if Shay had said, “All right, impress me”?

> though the man could not hold his liquor…

though he could not hold his liquor…

Do you have any fond memories of these guys that _don’t_ involve alcohol?

> He and Weeks never got along, you know.”

Why? And no, Shay _doesn’t_ know that, because he never saw them interact in any way that even _half_ -resembled an argument.

He and Jack never got along.”

> “If you’re trying to test my conscience, Gist,” Shay replies bitterly, “you’ve succeeded.”

Good. The last time you thought about whether they deserved to die was…Gee, when _was_ the last time? Telling Liam that you regretted killing Samuel? Wow. And now you hate yourself because Christopher lost his drinking buddies, and Jack can’t fight with James anymore. Excuse me while I get choked up.

“If you’re testing my conscience, you succeeded.”

> “We live in a time of war, Shay, but it’s always war time for _us_ ,” says Christopher.

“We live in a time of war, but it’s always wartime for _us_.”

Does this mean he forgives him? Wait…How did—? How did he know that Shay would have a clue who Lawrence, Samuel, and James _were_ , much less that he _killed_ them? That when he said “the elder Washington,” Shay wouldn’t ask, “His dad?” or, “By that, I take it there’s a _younger_ Washington I should be familiar with”?

* * *

> Sometime later, it’s snowing, and they’re traveling through restricted waters to rendezvous with a frigate(?)

The Wiki doesn’t seem to know if it’s the _Pembroke_ , either. Doesn’t look it.

> Once that’s done, we wait in a memory corridor. Violet stands in for the absence of hold music.

I won’t replay to check if that always happens right now.

> “At this point, the war’s not really over, but the French have lost their momentum in the colonies,” she educates ‘us’.

Thank you—I’d be helpless to figure out who’s winning otherwise. (Maybe that’s good? Shay is so uninvested in the outcome that without context, you have no idea what’s happening—because _he_ has no idea?) However, I care less about that than the score of the latest football game; at least I feel an inkling of pride when my hometown wins, even if I’d rather watch the Weather Channel…But I’m neither French nor British.

On second thought, just to annoy Shay: _Vive la_ France!

> “The Templars can now focus entirely on the Assassins,” Juhani says. “They still have hundreds of men working for them in New York.

Don’t forget the women, Ubisoft. I know, I know—habit. But…

> Let us see what role Shay plays.”

He kills them all, Juhani. He fucking kills them all.

That’s why they’re _**dead**_ in 1769.

> [Vieille Carriere, 1758]
> 
> Christopher looks up from a map that he and Shay are studying,

_Elizabeth stands atop a hill overlooking the town of Two Bends_ , _New York_ , _on the deck of a nondescript wooden house_. _Behind her_ , _Kesegowaase and Achilles sit at a table poring over what appears to be a map_.

 _Shay sails to the edge of the Old Growth Forest_ , _and there one evening finds Jack and George standing over a map on a long wooden table_ [.]

> to see Haytham and James (Cook) board the _Morrigan_. He grins—“Look what the wind just blew in!”

That’s a dumb joke, right? He’s not actually surprised that the people they expected to be on that frigate were on that frigate?

> “Hail and good morrow, gentlemen!” James says as they draw closer.
> 
> Haytham moves by him, to stand at the railing and gaze at the sea. “Once again, Captain Cook’s resourcefulness has served us well.”
> 
> “I have located the man you are seeking,” James clarifies.

Not ‘the man Master Kenway is seeking,’ or ‘you are all seeking’; he spoke directly to Shay. So then, whereabout will we find dear Liam, hm?

> “Adéwalé?” Shay asks expectantly.

*crumples picture of Liam, and lobs it at the back of Shay’s head*

Was James paid? Was this a favor for Christopher, or Shay (as he seems to have taken an instant liking to him)? What motivated him to go out of his way to do this?

> “Exactly.” James goes to the map. “He was last seen in the French fort

*aneurysm*

> not two leagues from here, along the river.”

*looks up how big a league is* They’re less than SEVEN MILES from their target when they find out where he is—because after all these lucky breaks, Shay would keel over and DIE if he had to put forth effort!

> “What would that scallywag be doing in a French fort?!” The idea is absurd to Christopher.

Can I get an amen?

> “Refitting his vessel, I suppose,” James replies. “After Louisbourg.”

But he didn’t fight!

> “Thank you, Master Cook,” Haytham says immediately after, his smile somewhat forced. “We’ll take it from here.”
> 
> James looks between the trio, uncertain. “Farewell, and…Godspeed, gentlemen.” Before departing.

Haytham knew what James would say, and sticks with them throughout the memory. Which begs the question: Why was James _in_ this scene? They could’ve met Haytham at Fort Arsenal—for example—and learned from _him_ where Adéwalé is.

Wasn’t James curious why they wanted him to conduct this search? He just _did it_? Without a reason? You can’t say, ‘It’s none of his business’—they made it his business when they involved him. So much for, “ _Makes it a little hard to keep secret business secret_.”

> Christopher comes to Haytham’s side, and points; “The fort’s just up ahead.”

**Haytham** : “Yes, Christopher, thank you. I was paying attention.”

> “Good,” says Shay.

**Haytham** : “Him, I’m not so sure about.”

> “Then let us continue onward.”

Fuck you, turn this ship around.

> He took a few bites of an apple throughout the scene, and now chucks it into the water.

Wasteful bastard.

> ‘Locate Adéwalé’
> 
> They sail downriver.

(Upriver? Who cares.)

> Before they can blink twice, Christopher cries out, “Saints preserve us! What is _that_ doing here?!” Through a snowstorm—which obscures the _Morrigan_ from view just like the fog off Two Bends had—

(Sometimes. On some replays, it’s difficult to tell how close you are to ramming into a cliff; others, there’s only a light mist(?), and all the Man O’ War’s captain has to do is look over his shoulder)—

> they witness as a Man O’War reduces two ships to smoldering husks in front of them.
> 
> “This makes no sense!”—

Ubisoft accidentally describes this game.

> —Shay yells over the explosions. “Those rivers barely have enough draft for an oceangoing vessel! She’ll be nearly impossible to maneuver!”
> 
> ‘Sail to the Shore Undetected’ and, ‘WARNING: do not get detected’ appear on-screen simultaneously.

Their obsession with repetition is seriously getting out of hand.

> “Maneuverability is hardly the point!” Haytham snaps.
> 
> “Well, I don’t intend to find out the _point_! Let’s stay out of her way.”

Aww…Come on, now—don’t you think you’re judging that very obviously armed and hostile enemy ship a little unfairly? Just the other day, they told me they’d like to have you over for tea and biscuits.

No, no, it’s true, I swear! Go say hi!

> “We can find our way around her. Just keep to the smaller rivers where she can’t follow,” Christopher says.

“Just keep to the smaller rivers where she can’t follow.”

> “And do try to remain unseen,” Haytham orders.

Okay, now they’re screwing with me.

> “We don’t want to attract unwanted attention.”

Right, yes, of course. We only want to attract _wanted_ attention.

Adrian Hough, I’m sorry you had to say that.

> “Why would the French bring such a ship inland?” Shay wonders.

*becomes engrossed in picking dirt out from under fingernails*

> Haytham offers his best guess at their rationale. “As the war is drawing to its close,

YESSSS.

> they are becoming desperate. They’ll expend any efforts to gain firepower.”

This could very well be historically accurate. But if I recall correctly, _Bravado_ is the last time that the Seven Years’ War matters to _Rogue’s_ plot to any degree. (*does a jig*) And this Man O’War and why it’s here never becomes significant.

> “No offense to Captain Cook, but that lady has more firepower than any I’ve had the pleasure of meeting,” Christopher says.
> 
> Shay laughs. “It’s not really my type.”

“She’s not really my type.”

> “Ah, but the French ones _can_ have a certain charm…Did I ever tell you the story of Madame Reinette? That wasn’t her _real_ name, but—Right, not the time.

You were just comparing French ships to women…And all of a sudden, you start going on about an actual woman. What?

> Point is, I think I know a safe place where we can debark.

The subtitles read: ‘[W]here you can debark.’

> SAIL ON!”

*drops anchor in the middle of river, and crosses arms, sullen-faced* No.

> Then he asks no one in particular, “So what’s the plan? We bombard the fort?”
> 
> “It would be foolhardy to simply storm that fort,” Haytham replies, annoyed.

“That would be foolhardy.”

And that’s why you suggest that instead, they…?

> “Aye, we need to know what we’re up against,” Shay says. “I could take care of that.”

Haytham, whatever you do, don’t let him take care of that.

> “Indeed.”

Are you kidding me?! The Grandmaster is within _spitting distance_ of this fucker, and he _still_ has complete freedom to do what he wants!

Meanwhile! “ _Shay and I’ll free those smugglers_ ”; “ _Now bring me to my ship_ ”; “ _You have to recover the Precursor Box and Manuscript_. _This is your mission_ ”; “ _Shay_ , _let’s return and find him_ ”; “ _Figure out what it is and find Washington_. _And when you do_ … _learn all you can_ ”; “ _Track that package_ , _and find Washington_ ”; “ _Follow him on land_ ”; “ _Find Wardrop_. _Get that Manuscript_ ”; “ _Begin your investigation at the market near the docks_.”

It’s Opposite Day! It’s eight fucking years of Opposite Days! Or maybe the Assassins have been wrong this whole time—Templars don’t want to control anybody, merely offer helpful suggestions to those who ask!

> Shay comes across a quiet outcropping on Iles Des Pins, where a rowboat has been overturned at the water’s edge, but there’s no one else in sight. And docks without a word from Christopher—making his, “ _I know a safe place where we can debark_ ”…

Sing it with me now…

> POINTLESS.
> 
> ‘Locate Adéwalé’
> 
> “I’ll go to the fort,” Shay tells the others. “Find out what Adéwalé is doing there.

No, he won’t. We kind of just have to take James at his word—(“ _Refitting his vessel_ ”).

> Keep the _Morrigan_ close, Gist.”

“Keep the _Morrigan_ close.” As if he ever does anything else.

> “Aye, sir!” Christopher says. “I’ll keep her close, and I’ll keep her safe.”

“Close and safe.” Aaaas usual…

> “Good luck, Shay.” Haytham sounds like he has a migraine.

**Haytham** : “Oh, God, now I’m going to be stuck with _him_ for who-knows- _how_ -long.”

“Good luck…”

> “I make my _own_ luck,” Shay gloats

Aye, you’ve been saying that for years, but you’ve precious little to show for it.

> —then pauses, realizing that was disrespectful.
> 
> “Master…Kenway,” he adds sheepishly.
> 
> He skips off to storm the fort—at the opposite end of which stands Adéwalé.

Waiting for repairs to be finished, I guess? (Again: How was his ship damaged?)

> It’s a short downhill walk from his position (atop a cliff overlooking the river) to Shay’s, but his back isn’t turned and there’s no way to sneak up on him. A skilled ex-Assassin would hide elsewhere until he comes down.

I don’t believe that the NPCs give Shay reason to think he doesn’t have much time.

> Shay—on the other hand—is awful at being an Assassin. So he keeps going full steam ahead.
> 
> Luckily, Adéwalé is also awful. His immediate reaction upon seeing Shay is to—

[A.] Pull a gun on him.

[B.] Remove himself from Shay’s line of fire, and wait for him to come within Hidden Blade distance.

[C.] Run away like a bitch.

(Hint: The answer’s—)

> ‘Kill Adéwalé’
> 
> “So, the Templars sent their dog after me,” Adéwalé jeers as Shay plows through soldiers to get at him.

Is ‘Templar dog’ the crown jewel of the Assassin arsenal? These people literally aim to take over the world. By eliminating free will as a _concept_. In turn, Assassins—at great personal risk—devote themselves utterly to eliminating Templars; they have next-to-no life outside of doing that. And dogs are the worst thing they can think to compare them to.

> “Time to test your mettle, Shay.”

“Time to test your mettle.”

Send this idiot back to Haytham in a matchbox.

> Adéwalé makes a beeline for the _Experto Crede_ , docked at the cliff’s base; Shay realizes he’ll lose him if he can’t ‘[r]each the wheel of the _Morrigan_ ’. Now. Trouble is, it’s on the other side of the—
> 
> Never mind, here it comes.

Good thing Shay sent Christopher a text message that Adéwalé knows he’s here, and it’s okay to park the _Morrigan_ in front of him; he won’t try to draw Shay into the open by ordering his crew to tear it apart. “ _I’ll keep her close_ , _and I’ll keep her safe_.” *strangles Christopher* Could we play Cassidy Finnegan for the rest of the game? She might be the only character who hasn’t made a total ass of herself.

> “He’s getting away!” Shay says, livid, as he takes control. “If only he’d stand still and fight me!”

Hear, hear!

> “Adéwalé is facing you on his own terms, picking the battlefield,” Haytham replies. “And on his own ship, he is most at ease.”

Or maybe he’s fleeing for his miserable, pathetic life, and you’re reading way too much into this.

> Little time passes between then and his anxious observation that, “This river’s getting uncomfortably narrow.”
> 
> “Don’t you worry, sir,” Christopher reassures him. “Shay has gotten us out of tighter scrapes before.

**Christopher** : “Like that one time at the place, with the danger, where he did the thing.”

> And the lake ahead is a dead end. Adéwalé won’t be able to get out,” he says haughtily.

But a ‘Reduce Distance to Target’ warning still threatens to desynchronize the MDSL if Shay doesn’t pursue him fast enough. Game, do you know what a ‘dead end’ is?

And the lake ahead is a dead end.”

> “It’s fortune, it is!” Shay says.

**Fate** : [ ;~; ] *happy tears*

*pats fate on the back* You earned it, buddy.

> “The Man O’War can’t follow anymore.”

What Man O’ W—? Ohh. The one you fussed about but didn’t break a sweat avoiding, and is here now, firing at you. (I was so focused on getting to the wheel that I didn’t see it until I specifically looked for it; I had no idea where the mortars were coming from.) Yes, that’s another bone the universe threw.

And then it exits the plot.

Thanks, writers. That was soooo necessary.

* * *

You’ll never catch me engaging in naval warfare unless forced to, because I suck at it like this game sucks at dialogue. As a matter of fact, when there _is_ an option—any option—I’m the lowest coward you’ve ever met.

You say ‘conquer forts to unlock restricted waters,’ I say, ‘Travel Speed past forts, dodging mortars and Noping all the way to your destination.’

You say ‘destroy blockades to turn yet-to-be-visited locales into Fast Travel points,’ I say, ‘Leave the _Morrigan_ juuust outside the red zone, and swim.’

You say ‘attack and board enemy ships for upgrade supplies,’ I say, ‘Smash open inexplicably placed chests on deserted, about-to-explode ships; pick up floating cargo; and sneak through outposts until you can escape undetected with one hand whilst browsing the Internet with the other.’ Which is how I spent endless hours in preparation for the fight against Louis. Only to end up begging my brother to defeat him.

‘You’re a loser, we get it. Who cares?’ Hold on, getting to the point. For review purposes, I fought the _Experto Crede_ three consecutive times—not because it kicked my ass into next year, but because I was just curious what my worst record would be. The answer? 1:26 on my first go-around. On my second try I temporarily forgot how to fire the cannons, and _still_ beat that by nine seconds.

So then I thought, How do the people who know what they’re doing fare? Most are indeed faster. One YouTuber wrecked the _Experto Crede_ in five seconds with a single mortar. (Meanwhile, I’m like, “How do I mortar?!”) Why the fuck is that possible if there isn’t so much damage that it’s a wonder it hasn’t sunk?

But anyway, a brig isn’t as quick and adaptable as a should-be-Master Assassin, and you don’t reach sixty-six in Adéwalé’s line of work without being able to handle Templars; he’ll put gamers’ skills to the ultimate test—

I have no idea who I think I’m kidding.

* * *

> Adéwalé beaches his ship (which is on fire and _now_ in need of refitting) opposite to where he and Shay entered the lake. The _Morrigan_ anchors a few yards behind, its occupants watching the _Experto_ tip onto its side, and Adéwalé and co. jump off, hurrying to Coeur-de-l’hiver—a nearby deserted French military outpost.

Which, if I understand correctly, Shay cleaned out sometime prior.

> For all of his many, _many_ faults, Christopher is at least sensitive to the plight of blind video gamers. “Adéwalé’s beached his ship!”

**Haytham** : *slowly turns head, glaring murderously*

> “A novel tactic,” Haytham laughs snidely.
> 
> Shay disagrees—this isn’t just some boneheaded move on Adéwalé’s part. “He’s saving his crew.”
> 
> “No,” Haytham says. “He’s making a last stand.

**Shay** : “Pretty sure I know the Assassins better than you. Just saying.”

> Let’s not disappoint him. I will take the high ground and provide a distraction.

Riiiight. And Liam and Elizabeth were going to ‘make sure James Wardrop didn’t escape.’

> Find another way.”

This marks the—(“ _Use them to improve that building_ ”; “ _Go to your cabin to arrange the work_ ”; “ _Begin by hitting her towers_ ”; “ _Now find the fort commander_!”; “ _Use it against that door_ ”; “ _Master Cormac_ , _meet me there_ ”; “ _Tell me what you have seen_ ”; “ _And do try to remain unseen_ ”; “ _Find another way_ ”)—ninth command a Templar’s given him, and the third when he himself was a Templar, obligated to obey. (By contrast, all the Assassins I quoted were ordering around an actual Assassin.) Kudos to Haytham for acting like a leader and issuing one here, though.

____

Not that Shay’s at all reluctant or inconvenienced by it…

But I’ll take what I can get.

> His optional objective being ‘don’t kill anyone except Adéwalé,’

which I almost admired—Shay believes that Adéwalé wants to cut his losses and prioritize the lives of his crew over fighting a losing battle (an analysis I’m inclined to side with because it paints the Assassins in a better light). And he doesn’t want to negate that effort…

Until I remembered they aren’t civilians. Shay’s sparing every Assassin present _except_ for the ‘good man,’ because reasons.

*dully, head in hand* And the Worst Templar of the Year Award goes to…

> Shay avoids the R!As, who’ve somehow set up a patrol in the time it took him to come ashore (and to whom I’m indebted for providing me with his new nickname: “I see the dumb toad again! Let’s catch him!”), until he finds Adéwalé: Pacing behind a two-walled wooden overhang, using a pair of R!As as bullet shields.

**Haytham** : *looks at me* “You were saying?”

*flips Haytham off*

> “Haytham Kenway!” he says, in a how-nice-of-you-to-join-us sort of way (only angrier and more yell-y).
> 
> “Adéwalé,” Haytham replies in acknowledgment. He’s standing on a wide, compact wooden platform that’s twenty feet high or thereabouts, staring down at Adéwalé, unprotected and trading shots with the R!As.

[ O-O ] *salute* I don’t know how the fuck you got up there before Shay, and I don’t care.

> “Where is your hunting dog,

(‘Minion.’ ‘Yes-man.’ ‘Bootlicker.’ ‘Lackey.’ SOMETHING ELSE. _PLEASE_!)

There are half-a-dozen or more R!As in Adéwalé’s immediate surroundings—close enough that there’s no way he wouldn’t realistically hear them getting shot and think, _Well_ , _I doubt it’s my own men turning on each other_. _Either way_ , _maybe I need to investigate_? Yet unless they drop dead in front of his face, he isn’t alerted to Shay’s presence. He doesn’t even become curious after the sniper on the watchtower shouts at the top of his lungs, “What?! You! In the bush! Out!”

 **R!A #2** : *turns to Adéwalé* “What’s he talking about?”

 **Adéwalé** : *pacing* “Don’t worry. It’s probably a squirrel.”

*gunshot; sniper hits the ground with a thud*

 **Adéwalé** : “Where did that squirrel get a gun?”

> Grand Master Templar?” asks Adéwalé. “I must have caused quite the ruckus for both of you to be chasing me.”

Mmm…Nope. It’s basically just because you’re an Assassin.

“I must’ve caused quite the ruckus for both of you to chase me.”

> “Indeed, you have been a thorn in our side for far too long!”

‘Our’—in this instance—referring to the Templars as a whole. Right? Or when you say ‘our,’ do you mean ‘my’?

“You’ve been a thorn in our side for far too long!”

> “I served with your father, Haytham—he would be ashamed to see what you have become!”
> 
> “Really? I wasn’t aware my father had a sense of _shame_.”

And you were just shy of ten entire years old when he died, so clearly you knew him well. 

“Really? I wasn’t aware he _had_ a sense of shame.”

> “Do _not_ speak ill of your father, boy! If you become _half_ the man he was, it will be a _blessing_!”

Does Adéwalé just think Edward a better person because he was an Assassin? That’s literally all I’ve got.

> “Blessing, or curse, I…am my own _man_!” Haytham replies.

Halfway decent line. Fucking **terrible** delivery.

“Blessing or curse, I am my _own_ man.”

> Then he asks, “Have you had enough, old man?”

Three lines of dialogue, three uses of the word ‘man.’

> “This ‘old man’ will put you in an early grave, Haytham!”

Make that four.

> “Younger men have tried and failed.”

Technically five.

> After this, the only shots fired are literal gunshots. Haytham lowers his pistol, and stares down the R!As instead of retreating to cover, practically daring them to hit him. (To be fair, his aim wasn’t any better.)
> 
> Adéwalé paces behind them until he detects Shay. Then he shouts, “You are quick, boy, but not very clever!”; “You will die as a traitor!”; or, “Come, come!” — and throws a gas bomb before sprinting for a ladder, which leads to the top of Haytham’s platform. He repeats those taunts as he loops around the outpost

instead of attacking Haytham,

> like he’s on a fucking amusement park track, again and again and again.
> 
> That’s not to say he’ll never take the offensive. If Shay’s within range, he might pause to stab him with his Hidden Blade, or shoot him...or engage in a 1x1 fight complete with counters! But as with Kesegowaase, mainly he’s running in circles so many times that he’ll wear a groove in the dirt if you let him.

And all things considered, if _Rogue_ doesn’t _make_ you fight him, why should you? See that house on the left, behind the sniper tower? Kill the R!As near it _before_ Shay ‘gets caught,’ then while Adéwalé climbs the ladder, head in the opposite direction and wait on its roof.

Eventually Adéwalé will race past. (“Come, come!” No thanks. I’m good.)

Air-assassinate him.

Yes, folks, that’s how he dies—that’s how Adéwalé of he-whose-loss-would-shake-the-Brotherhood-to-its-core-because-he’s-a-symbol-of-hope dies: Thanks to a tactic he might’ve occasionally employed, and should know to be wary of when facing off against an ex-Assassin, but instead literally ran right into.

 **Assassin** : “Of course he gives us hope. He reminds us that there’s always a bottom somewhere, and if we haven’t reached it, we’re doing all right for ourselves.”

> Adéwalé staggers forward with a pained gasp, then falls to his knees, hood concealing his eyes as he stares at the ground.
> 
> Shay walks up, watching him struggle for air.
> 
> “Forgive me…Adéwalé.”

He does appear truly sorry for killing Achilles’ self-proclaimed “friend”. Still not sure why, though; what part of this does he feel might’ve been unjust—the fact that Adéwalé was an old man who once freed hundreds of slaves, and had never hurt Shay nor any innocents (that he knew of)? Liam said, “ _I’ve never known anyone_ [ _else_ ] _who_ ’[ _s_ ] _done so much for our cause_ ”; does he respect Adéwalé’s unwavering dedication to the Assassins, however misguided it may seem? He didn’t bring up any of those things when he and Christopher talked about what a shame his death would be. Nor will he speak of them after this. So I kinda’ doubt it.

“Forgive me.”

> Adéwalé curls his upper lip—“You dare beg forgiveness, child?”—and still refuses to meet Shay’s gaze, out of spite. “Hell welcomes traitors like you.”
> 
> Shay kneels in front of him, glaring.
> 
> “Then I go there _proudly_ , knowing I have done _right_ ,” he says.

‘I apologize for what I did.’

‘Go to hell.’

‘Fuck you, I did the right thing!’

> Adéwalé finally looks at him, replying, “It does not matter. Achilles already has what he needs.” He can’t help wincing.

Thankfully there’s one good thing I can say about his death, and it’s that _he_ , at least, shuts his trap about the Assassins’ latest ‘brilliant’ scheme and doesn’t end up a traitor.

Here, I might’ve wished for Shay to react with something about how Achilles continuing to pursue the temples means that he’s effectively telling the people who live around them, “ _You_ don’t matter.” Giving a reason why he thinks Achilles’ plans are evil that any decent person, Assassin or Templar, can understand. Instead, Shay attacks the Assassins as a whole and ensures that he and Adéwalé will have no common ground:

> “I _will_ kill…every last man who defends him, if I must.”

Oh, so Elizabeth is safe, then? How chivalrous of you.

Elizabeth, you can go ahead and kill him now.

> His expression abruptly changes to one of either dread or sadness, perhaps both, likely imagining the destruction of the next temple. He stands and takes a step back, looking down at his victim.
> 
> “I cannot let him succeed!”

Are you so unconcerned with what he’s doing that you’ll wait several months, fight the French Navy, and kill Adéwalé? Or are you freaking out?

Yes, he and Adéwalé are allies, but they’re rarely in the same place at the same time, and the only involvement he’s had thus far with the Manuscript-and-Box plot is telling Achilles that they were stolen. Which he should’ve already known. So really he’s been no help at all, and Shay shouldn’t have taken the time to deal with him yet.

> Adéwalé seizes Shay’s arm. “You...have become...a monster, Shay.”

“You…have become…a monster.”

‘Monster’ here translates to ‘Templar’. Shay said that he’s desperate to foil Achilles’ plans, and he’ll guiltlessly murder anyone that he perceives to be an obstacle (that’s _all_ he said, in fact; it’s the only thing Adéwalé could be responding to). But was mum as to _why_ —which probably led Adéwalé to assume it boils down to black-and-white ‘Shay is a Templar and Achilles an Assassin.’

> Shay jerks his arm away sharply, knocking Adéwalé flat on his back. Anxious, he looks around while the former moans, maybe regretting having done that or wondering if it’s true. He knows it is.
> 
> Haytham’s footsteps echo when he approaches from behind.
> 
> But Shay ignores him, still gazing down. “Perhaps I have.”

* * *

“[ _F_ ] _rom an Assassin’s point of view_ , […] [_Shay is the biggest monster you could’ve ever met_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYI0bVlKTXI&t=3315s). […] _He_ […] _betrayed everybody and hunted them down one_ - _by_ - _one_. _And_ [ _he_ ]… _knows that_ , _and_ […] does _feel like he’s a monster up to a certain point_. _But sometimes one must embrace the darkness_ […] _to achieve the light_ [,] _and in [his] mind_ , _he’s gotta’ do these bad things because the other guys_ [ _won’t_ ] _stop_ , _and if he doesn’t stop them_ , […] _no one else will and innocent people are gonna’ die_. _So_ […] _he’s saying_ , ‘ _Adéwalé_ , _you’re right_ , _I_ am _a monster_. _But I’m a necessary evil_.’” ~ ** _Steven Piovesan_**

* * *

Doesn’t he think _they_ betrayed _him_ first—Achilles by sending him to Lisbon, ‘knowing’ that he’d cause him to kill civilians, and the rest by taking Achilles’ side, trying to rationalize and excuse that decision? If he believes that it was known _from the get-go_ that those people would die, and yet nobody gave enough fucks to at least mention it, why would he consider himself a monster for killing them and ending their rampage? Why isn’t he a hero? He about said as much earlier—“[ _If I’m going to hell for being a traitor to the Assassins_ ] _I go there_ proudly, _knowing I have done_ right.”

But now…he’s apologizing again. For something.

Somebody please tell me what he’s apologizing for.

> Haytham places a hand on his shoulder, saying, “Come.”
> 
> Shay follows him away from the corpse.


End file.
